Three of Hearts
by Firestorm Studios
Summary: Post KH2. Radiant Garden has become a world of crime, corruption and chaos after the Restoration Commitee leaves, and so Sora, Riku and Kairi are determined to clean up the city as the Three of Hearts. SoraxKairi. Warning: Very dark themes.
1. Cure

Greetings all, and welcome to my newest fanfiction – Three of Hearts! I hope you will all find it enjoyable and remember, I am always eager to hear your thoughts on my story concepts and general work so please review and tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: Damnit. I still don't own Kingdom Hearts and will never because I even if I did own it, I would give ownership to SkyLandOcean, but I don't own it anyway, or it's characters. And that goes for all chapters in this story!

Note: This fanfiction has no sexual content, but rather has fairly heavy violence, language, and themes that may make some readers uncomfortable. If you think any of the above mentioned things will incline you to leave, do so now, and I hope you will find preference in a lighter story. If you're a veteran and are reading this story, I do hope you enjoy the chapter!

The first and only member of Firestorm Studios presents a Kingdom Hearts fanfiction…

Three of Hearts

Chapter 1 – A Cure

Radiant Garden. The name once brought hope and pride to the face of many people – the greatest stronghold we had. Twilight Town and Traverse Town took second and third seat to the fortress world, led by the skilled and loved Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. When the Keybearers beat Xemnas, and went home, the HBRC decided to give one final effort – lead a united human assault against the last remnant of Nobodies stretched across the worlds. However, a snag was hit – thousands of people from Hollow Bastion were fighting, most of them already skilled in the ways of law enforcement or combat. So in a world mostly filled with women and children, how were the criminals of the city to be policed?

The HBRC gave all citizens a sort of low voltage electricity taser, expecting the city to sort of police itself. But there were some smart criminals – and sometimes just not criminals – who could modify the tasers. Amongst modified tasers, illegal gene-altering artificial hormones called 'The Nobody Gene' began to spread through a big drug ring, and became popular amongst the frail and old. The drugs were literally genetic sample augmentations of Nobody races – reports of drug abusers with incredible strength, speed and stamina, to even worse reports of some who could use energy shields, or the worst rumours of all – those who could even throw electromagnetic pulses from their very skin.

As a result of the taser modders and drug abusers, Hollow Bastion, without proper government, has become rampant with crime, assault, and corruption.

-----

A youth, no older than 12, cowered in the corner of a dark alleyway. Towering over him was a man, who looked about 45. He punched the wall, and cracks appeared in it with a thud. The boy tried to cower further against the wall, eyes widened in fear. The man advanced, grinning evilly and banging his hands together. "P-please Sir…" The child had summoned enough courage to speak. "I don't have any money…"

The man lashed out, delivering a sharp kick into the boy's stomach. The younger doubled over and coughed up some blood, spluttering. "Then I'll take YOU!" The man roared, making a grab for the boy. Suddenly, a leg came out of nowhere and smashed into the man's chest, sending the criminal into the wall.

"Attacker's wall-smashing strength and bone dexterity lead to the conclusion that he is taking Nobody Gene Catalysts A35-160993 and A76-280593. Proceeding to contain target and administer immunity vaccine." The figure who had kicked the attacker said. He wore brown trousers, along with a yellow shirt. The shirt had the outline of a heart on it, and we wore black gloves and sneakers.

"Roger that, number three." A sweet female voice said from the other side of the male's communicator. "Target's brainwaves and heart rate suggest he has taken multiple doses. Take extreme caution. Number two, out." The male flung out his hand, and in it appeared an enclosed handle, with a bat wing pattern. It stretched up into a bat wing blade, with a smaller angel wing blade sprouting from the back. A keychain dangled from the handle, the symbol of the Heartless.

"Fuck OFF!" The attacking man roared, and charged at Riku, his veins bulging with immense strength. Riku simply sidestepped the speeding juggernaut and delivered a swift slash with the Keyblade, Way To Dawn. A gash appeared in the man's arm traveling down to his elbow, making him roar out in pain and drop to his knees on the ground. Blood spurted from the wound, hitting the pavement with sickening splashes.

Riku leapt into the air, the man looking up with fear as Riku flicked out what appeared to be a syringe from a mechanism on his wrist. In a second, Riku stabbed the syringe into the man's not-bleeding arm, making the man collapse. "Immunity vaccine number 6 administered – Target is now unable to be affected by the Nobody Gene drugs. Additional damage – I've sliced the tendons is his right arm, to teach him a lesson. He won't be doing anything too soon." Riku announced to the girl back at the base.

Riku immediately got up, and wrapped a bandage over the unconscious man's bleeding arm. He took out another syringe, containing another drug designed back at the base, and pressed it into the wound. The drug contained essences of healing magic itself – designed to stop the bleeding and near-seal the wound, but leave the internal damage. After doing this, Riku stood, and turned to the frightened boy. "You alright?" He asked the twelve-year-old, who merely sniffed back tears and turned away.

"Yeah… Thanks to you, mister… Thank… You?" He added that last part when he turned around, only for the silver-haired, emerald-eyed teenager to be nowhere in sight.

Standing behind a nearby wall, Riku waited for the boy to leave, when a burst of transmission came through his communicator. It was another boy, this one having a more childish voice than Riku's own. "Nice work Riku, however I must say, you ruined it at the ending."

"Yes, how very cliché." The female from earlier added. "Disappear before he gets a chance to turn around and say thank you. I have **never** seen that one before."

"Sora, Kairi, shut up." Riku retorted to the male and female respectively, his two best friends – his two best friends who left him feeling slightly alone by recently becoming a couple.

"Nice comeback. Anyway, you'd best get back to base, Kairi's made a breakthrough." Sora said back.

"_Oh, he walked right into this one!"_ Riku thought, smirking. "What, a breakthrough on the cure, or a breakthrough of your mouth again?"

Silence. The sweet sweet silence of a sweet, sweet burn.

"…Shut up. Just get back here." Click. Riku grinned with satisfaction, and dismissed the Way To Dawn. He also summoned magic around his body, transferring the trousers and shirt with his usual jeans with black vest and yellow jacket, his civilian clothes.

-----

Riku's POV

-----

As I walked back to the base that Sora, Kairi and I set up in our efforts, I just thought how lucky we were that since Hollow Bastion was such a smattering of different races, there were a lot of people with spiky brown hair, red hair, and silver hair. But if you put the pieces together, it was relatively easy to work out that it was us three on the job.

I walked through the doors to our base, and was welcomed back with a tackle from Sora, a rare gesture of affection, especially how Sora felt embarrassed after crying openly, hanging onto my hand earlier this year.

"Riku! Good to see you alive after that last guy!" Sora exclaimed with happiness, holding his arms around me until he let go a few seconds later. Then Kairi walked over to me, and also delivered a hug. I couldn't help but realize how much taller I was than them – at least half a foot. Sora may have been taller than Kairi, but that was probably just the hair.

Kairi put on her scientific glasses with the built-in camera and voice recorder for scientific research, and gestured us through to her makeshift laboratory. The lights were half-dimmed, with microscopes, beakers, a Bunsen burner, and various other pieces scientific equipment lining the shelves and benching surround the three tables where everything happened.

-----

Normal POV

-----

"Well, I've had very little to work with, so… I have here the test results of Nobody Gene Immunity Vaccine Number 7. As you all know, Number 6, the current vaccination we've been using, can render the vaccinated unable to be affected by the Nobody Gene – but it only works on certain people. I believe we may have found success in Number 7." Kairi explained, leading them over to her test subjects.

She flung off a cover to reveal 10 cages, each one containing a rabbit. "Administering Nobody genes A35-160993 Muscle strength, A76-280593 Bone dexterity, A49-O20794 Enhanced speed, A61-111194 Extreme flexibility, and A94-389421 Energy shielding."

10 needles were lowered from a machine above the cages, two of each drug inserting into the rabbits. The needles went up again, and instantly results happened. The two rabbits on the muscle strength group began attacking the cage, harmlessly bouncing against the bulletproof glass' walls. The ones with flexibility began jumping and flipping around, the ones with the speed drug began racing around almost faster than the eye could see. The other four, bone dexterity and energy shielding simply lay down, two of the rats suddenly having a red-purple sphere of energy around them.

"Administering Number 6 cure to test subjects 1-5." Kairi said, the needles coming down again. A gas faded into each glass cage, keeping the rats down. The syringes injected the Number 6 drugs into the rabbits. The one on muscle strength stopped its aggressiveness, instead just sitting still. The same thing happened with bone dexterity and Extreme flexibility. The rabbit with speed began to curl up, and stopped breathing, dead. The energy shield one was completely unaffected, and just kept sending out its shields.

"Irregular results show 60 success, with a death and one unaffected. Completely unsuitable for the work we're trying to do." Kairi said, as needles containing a cyanide mix came down and put the 3 cured, shivering rats out of their misery. Sora put on rubber gloves, and carefully picked up the shielded rabbit, putting it in a separate cage labeled 'Unaffected – Shielding'. It was put in with 4 other rabbits sending out energy shields.

"Administering Number 7 cure to test subjects 6-10." Kairi said as the needle arms lowered again, and injected the rabbits. Instantly, all 5 of them stopped their irregularities and started doing normal rabbit behaviour. Kairi took off her glasses in awe And held them closer to the 5 rabbits. "Tests result in a 100 cure efficiency. Number 7 is a confirmed cure." She pressed the stop recording button on her glasses, and turned to her friends. "Number 7 is a confirmed cure!"

Sora and Riku cheered in jubilation as Kairi instantly started up a special machine – a machine which allowed the immediate duplication of liquids. Immediately, the tank slowly began filling with Number 7 cure, drip by drip. Suddenly, a rapid series of beeps were heard from the main room. The three went in, to see a red dot pulsing on the map of Hollow Bastion.

"Looks like we got a distress signal. Play audio." Riku said, and instantly a sound resonated through the base.

"_Help us…We can't hold out much longer…"_

"It's my turn!" Sora said, making magic surround his body. Instantly Sora was in his special combat clothes.

"Be careful." Kairi said, kissing him on the lips. Sora released the kiss after a few seconds, and ran outside.

-----

Sora found the source of the signal blocked by a large board of wood. He summoned his Kingdom Key and began bashing the board of wood down, jumping through the hole he made. It was nearly pitch-black inside, and deadly quiet. "Hello?" Sora called out, hearing his voice echo. He saw a single blinking light ahead, and ran to it. It was the blinking red light to show that something was being transmitted. He pressed the play button, and instantly a familiar voice rang out through the darkness.

"_Help us… We can't hold out much longer…"_

Sora realized it was all a prank. He quickly grew angry, and in his anger summoned his Keyblade and whacked it into the transmitter, destroying it instantly. Sora contacted Riku and Kairi on his communicator. "The distress signal was a hoax. I'm on my way back now."

He turned around, and suddenly a fist slammed into his gut. Sora dropped his Keyblade in shock. Sora passed out instantly and dropped. Whatever hit Sora scooped him up and carried the unconscious boy over its shoulder. The figure next to the attacker grinned in the darkness, quickly taking off Sora's communicator and throwing it to the ground.

"Sora! SORA! What the hell is going on?! SOOOORA!" Kairi's voice echoed through the communicator.

----- To Be Continued…

Well, I hope you all enjoyed that! Just remember that you should only keep reading this story if you're comfortable with the fairly heavy violence, language and abuse to come in the story! Also, please leave a memento of your reading in the form of a review! Thanks!

See ya'll next time,

Firestorm Studios


	2. Monstrosity

Wow, thanks for the incredibly positive response to Chapter 1! I'm glad you liked it, so be ready for Chapter 2… Last chapter was barely anything; this is where the REAL story begins!

NOTE: This Fanfiction contains fairly heavy violence, language, and themes that may make some readers uncomfortable. If you think any of the above mentioned things will incline you to leave, do so now, and I hope you will find preference in a lighter story. If you're okay with that and are reading this story, I do hope you enjoy the chapter!

Three of Hearts

Chapter 2 – Monstrosity

The ground felt slimy. The brunette felt a warm liquid running down his body at several points, and he opened his eyes. They blurred heavily, but then slid into focus, only to see what he feared most. The walls were covered in a purple and black slime, which dribbled down the wall menacingly, creating a foul stench of rotting corpses. The air was heavy and thick with purple fumes, rendering the brunette barely able to breathe.

"W-what's going on?" Sora asked groggily, suddenly snapping to attention and looking around frantically at the infected environment, knowing that it was Heartless infected. He could almost feel Anti-Sora pounding away at his insides, trying to get loose into the sweet Heartless fog. Sora made a note not to use any drive forms.

Suddenly, a loudspeaker system crackled into life, and a relatively high-pitched, yet somehow mature voice boomed through the room.

"Greetings, Sora. I'm glad you could make it. My name is Adam Owen."

"What the fuck is this?" Sora asked through gritted teeth, wincing as he stood to his feet, ignoring the blood that trailed off his body. He summoned his Keyblade and leaned on it, panting.

"How rude!" Adam said. "But I need not worry. Your end is near. My assistant and my pet will see to that."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked, whirling around as if expecting to see Adam or one of the people he mentioned there.

"Well, first, there's my assistant, the one who knocked you out and brought you here. Allow me to introduce you to her. Actually, I believe you may have already met." Adam said, as Sora heard a loud clanking mechanical noise echoing through the cave as the figure approached.

It wore a large, yellow suit of tough mechanical armour. The girl herself had blonde hair with a lock of it dangling over her shoulder. Her eyes, usually blue, were now a deep red, her pupils dilated beyond belief.

"Namine…?" Sora asked in disbelief, only for Namine to lash out and hit Sora in the chest with the back of her armoured wrist. Sora flew back into the wall, feeling something crack. He could taste blood. He stood up, and summoned his Keyblade.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Adam said. "I'm controlling her with a pheromone that allows me to control her abilities to alter memories. You see Sora; I'm a scientist who believes that the most deadly of weapons, soldiers and chemicals can be created by using the very essence of memories from a powerful sample."

Adam paused for a second. "Unfortunately, the removal and concentration of such memories is a painful process that will surely leave the subject dead, so I was exiled from Hollow Bastion for inhumane experiments. But after seven years of being unable to do anything, my employer approached me with a proposal: An extensive salary, along with all the samples I could ever want for my experiments, if I could build him a suit of sufficient strength and dexterity. And since you: A) Have incredible memories to extract, B) Are an optimal target to test the suit on, and C) You and your two little friends are trying to stop my employer's drug business… I thought I might take out three birds with one stone."

"You're a real sick fuck, you know that?" Sora yelled to Adam, as Namine stomped towards him. He held his Keyblade in front of him, and Namine began charging. Sora sidestepped, and the mindless girl turned and charged again. Sora readied the Kingdom Key. "Bring it! I'll bring her to her senses!"

"Once again, not recommended. That suit is made of a metal designed to hold through nuclear blasts and high-explosives, and the circuitry inside the armour interacts with a gel layer that allows the user to run at approximately 55 Kilometres per hour." Sora got up and started to run, only for Adam's voice to continue talking as he ran. "It also is worth mentioning that the suit allows for incredible muscle strength – trying to stop her with force is akin to trying to stop a runaway freight train." Sora corned a corner and backed up.

BOOM! The wall smashed in, sending debris of aged rock and Heartless slime over Sora. The intoxicated Namine walked toward him and lunged, trying to make a grab for his throat. He pushed himself against the wall and managed to hit back the suited-up Namine, then began running. He ran as fast as he could, only to her very fast thumping footsteps of the armour, getting closer rapidly. When Namine was only centimetres behind her, Sora suddenly stopped and crouched, the suit's legs stomping around him, and kept into running, smashing into the wall in front of Sora. Sora immediately began running in the direction he'd come, despite be almost unable to find breath, and losing blood making him feel faint.

"Impressive." Adam's voice noted. "You exceed normal expectations – most humans, by now, should have fainted from the blood loss, and the choking Heartless air – if Namine had not already killed them first. But now your run for freedom is over. Namine, fire at will."

Instantly Namine stopped running, and extended her fist at the running Sora. A mechanism flicked out, containing a syringe, and it made a hissing noise as it sped towards the brunette.

Sora felt a stabbing pain in his neck; his legs gave way, making him fall to all fours. His hand flew instantly to the wound, and he plucked a syringe out of it. "What did you do?" He growled at Adam.

"Namine just shot you with a Nobody Gene Catalyst. A35-2-160993, to be precise." Adam informed him, with more than just a hint of superiority in his voice.

"A35? Muscle strength? What, do you want me to fight Namine head-on? I'll just use this muscle strength and run faster!" Sora growled, getting to his feet.

"Your body will not allow you to run, Sora." Adam said. "This special addition, A35-2, was created just for this. It may have other uses, but that's beside the point. The point is, A35-2 interacts with natural hormones in a teenager's body, bringing out an inner rage and aggression. You won't be able to resist attacking."

Just then, Sora felt it hit. Instantly, feelings inside him squirmed – hunger, sadness, cold, and loathing – but the most undoubtedly superior was **rage**. Pure, completely unadulterated rage. Sora dropped to his knees and clutched his ears, making a high-pitched whistling noise.

"Do you hear that whistling?" Adam's voice once again rang out over the loudspeaker. "That high-pitched whistling signifies that your body is close to death. Hold onto it, because it stops… You won't be able to hear it stop."

Despite the fact that Sora's eyes had started bleeding, and some of his hair was falling out, He got to his knees and he ran. He summoned his Keyblade, and sprinted, as fast as his genetically-enhanced legs could carry him, and smashed through each wall as they greeted him. After a while he slipped in the slime, falling face-first into it. Instantly he looked up and noticed that there was much more slime in this area than the last few.

Suddenly, he froze as he heard a low pitched growling that resonated throughout the entire cave, shaking Sora to his very bowels. He also heard the clang-clang of the intoxicated Namine in the mechanized suit of armour trudging toward him.

"Oh yes, you haven't met my pet yet, have you?" Adam asked. Sora pulled himself from slime and stood up, looking into the pitch-black tunnels ahead. Namine had reached the entrance of the room and now stood there, her dilated pupils operating the machine with her consciousness having no say in her actions. Sora heard a stomp. And then, a roar. A scream like a human's, with a monstrous roar that made bile rise in Sora's throat.

-----

Riku walked solemnly through the door of the base. Kairi looked up at him hopefully, only for him to shake his head sadly. Kairi's head dropped, and for a second, both of them felt tears leak into his eyes.

"Is he dead?" Riku managed to ask after he got his voice back.

Kairi shook her head, recovering slightly, and beckoned for Riku to come over. On the screen it had Sora's vital signs.

_Sora Bennington Osment_

_Age: 15_

_Status: Alive/Critical_

"His heart and brain waves are off the chart." Kairi said, looking at his vitals. "It's the kind of thing we've seen from the drug abusers… But far more intense. I can say that the only sort of thing which could cause these kinds of vitals is a drug which interacts with his hormones… Mixed with a sort of insane fear."

"A drug that interacts with hormones, you say?" Riku asked.

"Yes, what about it?" Kairi asked back, turning around, intrigued.

"Get me a line to the Government House." Riku said, and Kairi obeyed, opening a line. Cloud Strife, the only member of the Restoration Committee who hadn't left, answered the call. Cloud had only recently come back, victorious against Sephiroth once more, and was appointed Prime Minister of Hollow Bastion while the Committee was away, confident that he could lead the people of Radiant Garden through these turbulent times.

"Well, well, well. Riku and Kairi. I should have guessed it was you three as the Three of Hearts." Cloud said proudly, smiling for the time they'd ever seen him. Clearly Cloud thought Sephiroth was gone for good. "Is Sora around? I bet he's the whole mastermind behind this operation."

"That's the problem. He's been kidnapped by an unknown adversary." Riku said, causing Cloud to frown worriedly. "We know nothing of his whereabouts, all we know is he's being held captive by a man who has access to hormone-interacting drug." Kairi said, continuing Riku's statement.

"That's terrible…" Cloud trailed off. "I have my men cross referencing all records of this fiend." Cloud said, and seconds later, a document was put into his hand.

"I think we've got him." Cloud said, and began reading the document. "Adam Owen. Banished from Hollow Bastion city seven years ago, however is still confirmed to be kidnapping targets for his tests. Exiled for inhumane experiments using memory extraction and hormone interaction."

"Sir, I have Adam Owen's base co-ordinates. Patching it through to the Three of Hearts base." A Tech man said, and sure enough, the paper came out at Riku and Kairi's end.

"We can't thank you enough, Cloud." Kairi said, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Yeah – We'll get that fucking sicko!" Riku roared.

Cloud nodded determinately. "I'll keep cross-referencing here, just in case Adam Owen's not our guy." Kairi and Riku nodded in response to this. The two teens ran out, but Kairi stopped.

"Almost forgot." She said to herself, and grabbed a syringe of the Number 7 cure. She then made magic surround her body, and was in her Combat suit – A pink jacket worn over a blue vest, with the outline of a heart on it. She also wore a purple skirt which went down to her knees, and a black belt which held all her necessary equipment. She ran out to join Riku, who was already running in his Combat clothes.

-----

What walked out was human, but almost not. Sephiroth stood in the cave door, his rusted Masamune at his side. His wings were rotten, with many of the feathers falling out, his silver hair had lost its luster and had become unruly and frizzed - much of his skin was bloody and with globules of purple over it as well. His shoulderpads, like his Masamune, were rusted, much of his clothes were torn, and finally, his usually piercing green eyes had become much darker, with heavy rings of pure black underneath.

"Se…Sephiroth…" Sora gulped, as the creature walked toward him. Sephiroth swung his Masamune lazily, the Heartless infection making him lose much of his regular brilliant swordsmanship. Sora dodged it, and suddenly dived to the ground as an armoured fist flew at him, smashing a good dent in the rock behind – he had forgotten about Namine!

Sora jumped to his feet and ran, but soon heard Namine's thudding footsteps and the whoosh of Sephiroth dominating what little airspace there was in the cave. "I don't know how you managed to keep running after the hormone drug, Sora, but there's no point. The only way out is for someone to send down elevator shaft, and I have the controls." Adam said confidently.

"My pet quite literally dropped from the heavens. I recognized him as the One-Winged Angel, and figured he must have lost to Cloud. But by the time I got him back here, he had been attacked and infected by Heartless. He became half-insane, and obedient. I knew that should Sephiroth die, he would come back as good as new." Adam began explaining, as Sephiroth took a swing at Sora, cutting a deep slash through Sora's back. Sora cried out in immense pain, but kept on running.

"I knew it wasn't often that you could have one of the world's deadliest beings on your side, so I didn't let him die. I kept him alive, and boosted him with several of my employer's drugs. He has become a most capable pet, as he tends to enjoy slicing my target's heads off. Of course, just being a head makes it easier for extracting memories." Adam finished, as Sora ran into a dead end – he had reached the doors to the elevator shaft.

"Also, I apologise for the appearance of the caves. Sephiroth's infection must have spread along the walls, floor and ceiling… Speaking of my two favourite people, he they are now." Adam said, and Sora turned, only to discover that Sephiroth and the mindless Namine had cornered him. Sephiroth readied his Masamune for a killing blow, as the bulk of Namine's suit made it impossible to escape. Then, a spherical beeping object dropped in front of them.

Suddenly, a bright light filled the cavern, as well as an incredible heat – that came a split second before the deafening explosion and searing flames. Sora was pressed into the wall so hard by the force that he was lodged in there, and struggled to get out. Sora opened his eyes, and saw a figure in front of him, dressed in yellow. It was fighting off a flaming Sephiroth, and the figure slashed it, sending the burning Sephiroth screeching back down the tunnel, its wings burned off. Sora closed his eyes again.

Up in the top, Kairi kicked Adam Owen in the stomach again against the wall, and the man began choking between the metal and the incredible force Kairi was putting into her kick. "TELL ME HOW TO DEACTIVATE THE SUIT!" She roared.

"Press the… Red button… It force quits all the suit's functions…" The scientist said, a line of bloodied saliva dropping to the floor. Kairi released her leg, and the scientist slumped. Kairi turned towards the Control Panel, but then turned back and roundhouse-kicked the scientist in the face, knocking him out.

"That's for my fucking boyfriend." Kairi said, spitting on his body.

Riku backed up, one of his arms wrapped around an unconscious Sora, the other one held the Way To Dawn in it's hand, the pair's only form of defense. Namine stomped towards them menacingly. "Well, buddy?" Riku asked his unconscious friend. "How we gonna take this one?"

Suddenly, a click echoed throughout the cave, and the suit dropped. The armour immediately released Namine, who slid out of it, still in a trance from the pheromone that Adam Owen had controlled her with. Kairi's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Hey guys, what's your status?"

Riku took Sora in his arms, wrapping the brunette in a tight grip as he began to stir. "Namine is still drugged, but okay. The power suit is completely out of action. Sephiroth's fate is unknown. But I've got Sora, and I think that even though he made an outstanding effort against it, the drug is taking control."

"Okay." Kairi said, a hint of panic in her voice. "I'm on my way in the elevator shaft."

Riku opened one of Sora's eyes, to find more black than blue. He opened Sora's mouth, to find his gums bleeding. He also could feel Sora's muscles bulging. "Make it quick, Kai – pupils fully dilated, bleeding gums, and swelling muscles. We need that cure."

Sora opened his eyes slowly. "Riku… Let me go." He said softly. That voice broke Riku's heart, and he would have done anything to be able to give Sora his wish.

"I can't do that, Sora." Riku said, as Sora began to struggle in his grip.

"Riku… I asked you to LET ME FUCKING GO!" Sora screamed, suddenly writhing and struggling furiously, growling, hissing and snarling, trying to claw and bite at Riku's face.

"I can't… Let you go, Sora!" Riku said, trying to calm, holding down the brunette. Veins began to show all over Sora's arms and face as he kept screaming.

"LET ME FUCKING GO! I FUCKING HATE YOU! YOU SHOULD FUCKING KILL YOURSELF, THAT'S WHAT I FUCKING THINK OF YOU!" Sora screamed fully, screaming in his loudest voice possible, which seemed to shake the cavern.

"You don't… Mean that!" Riku said as Sora continued to scream. "Fight it, Sora! Fight the drug!" Sora bucked against him trying desperately to be free. Suddenly, the elevators shaft doors opened, and Kairi sprinted towards them, shocked at Sora's beetroot-red skin, pierced only by the blue veins running across his body.

"Do it!" Riku said, as Kairi pulled out the syringe. She removed the safety cap, and stabbed the Cure 7 needle into Sora's shoulder.

Sora instantly dropped to the ground, slumping in Riku's arms, whimpering softly and unconscious. After a few seconds, Riku got up, hoisting the unconscious Sora on his back. Kairi placed her hand on Namine's, and her Nobody instantly went back into Kairi's body.

They heard Sephiroth's terrible roar, and his smashing footsteps. "We gotta go!" Riku yelled, and Kairi nodded. The two (with one unconscious) ran into the elevators, closing the 5-metre thick titanium walls just as the raging man ran into view.

The three stood in silence as the elevator went up. When it opened it's doors, Riku gently set down Sora near the exit, and helped Kairi with Adam Owen. Together they threw the unconscious Scientist into the elevator, and set it to go down.

"W-wait! I usually control Sephiroth with the same pheromone I used to control Namine! But when you attack Sephiroth, he threw it off and went rampage! He'll kill me!" Adam pleaded.

"Well then, it seems only fitting that your head be the main exhibit of his collection!" Kairi said, kicking the close door button. The elevator closed the doors and started going down, and Kairi smashed the controls with her Keyblade. As it went down, the Scientist went delirious, screaming and pleading for them to bring the elevator back up.

"Too late." Riku smirked over the intercom. "We smashed the controls. Thank you for choosing Three of Hearts cleaning service, we hope you enjoy your fucking day." Riku said, and the scientist let out one final scream, which was cut short by Sephiroth's screech, and then the transmission cut.

Riku picked Sora back up on his back, and the Three of Hearts began the long walk home.

----- End of Chapter 2

Everything's okay? You wish! The main villain of the story is introduced next chapter, and from here on out, it's going to be suspense after suspense!

Please review, and thanks once again for Chapter One's super-positive response,

Firestorm Studios!


	3. Reveal

Wow, such an incredibly positive response to Chapter 2 as well! You guys (and girls) are the best, and I'll keep 'em coming!

NOTE: This Fanfiction contains fairly heavy violence, language, and themes that may make some readers uncomfortable. If you think any of the above mentioned things will incline you to leave, do so now, and I hope you will find preference in a lighter story. If you're okay with that and are reading this story, I do hope you enjoy the chapter!

Three of Hearts

Chapter 3 – Reveal

For the first time in Hollow Bastion since the HBRC left, it was peaceful. It was snowing, children frolicked happily with their friends in the frost, and a delicious scent of sticky date pudding was drifting into everyone's nose. It was December 24th, and Christmas was well and truly in the air.

Riku calmly walked through the streets, headed to the local supermarket. He knew it would be packed, and that pissed him off, but he was just glad that he could avoid the major shopping centres, and the thousands within. In truth however, he was the only one who could do the shopping at the moment. Sora was healing well, but something could go wrong at any time, and Kairi would need to be there.

"I hate Christmas. It's all materialism nowadays; they've forgotten what it really means." Riku said to himself.

"But you can't deny that it brings people together. Crime rates have been down 76 since the notion of Christmas started up. Even the drug abusers have families they can be with for Christmas." Kairi said back to Riku over the radio.

"Yeah, I guess we especially can't complain. If the crime rates continued at their usual, we wouldn't have been able to handle it with Sora down." Riku said, still careful not to let his guard down, eyeing the tasers of everyone passing him. "Speaking of Sora, how's he doing?"

Kairi paused for a second to bring up the medical conditions of his wounds on the computer screen. "Well, the gash from Sephiroth's Masamune became infected, as it was a rusted blade. I've given him a tetanus shot. He has two cracked ribs that may make him feel breathless for a while, but I gave him a Bio-Pill."

Riku nodded. A Bio-Pill was a medical breakthrough – it was a pill that sped up the healing process of fractured and broken bones, and made the user not feel the pain from the broken bone. However, they would not be able to use the bone, of course. "Anything else?"

"Well, he's got numerous cuts and bruises that I've dabbed with an anti-infectant and sealed the wounds. His gums stopped bleeding recently, and his eyes still water a lot, with traces of blood inside. That added hormone screwed him up good. And finally, along with hurting all over from the cuts and bruises, he'll also be feeling dizzy from blood loss." Kairi paused for a second, then added: "Apart from that, he's fine."

"Hey, if it were up to me, I would be out there with you!" Sora's croaking and groggy voice came over. Riku smiled. It was 2 days since the incident, and Sora hadn't been able to talk. Riku rejoiced internally when he heard Sora's voice, because the last thing Sora had said to him was a string of insults and swearing.

"Sora, I told you to get back into bed. Walking could inflame those wounds. Don't make me give you more pain than you already are." Kairi said to Sora, followed by Sora's groan.

"But Kai, I-"

"Go back to bed, Sora." Riku said softly to his friend. "I'd rather have you entirely at your strength when you fight again than rushing you in still hurt."

Everything was silent as Sora considered both of his friends' points. "Alright. And Riku… I'm sorry. And thank you for saving my life." He sounded close to tears, and then he could be heard no more.

"Riku… You have to consider how hard that was for him. He's been feeling terrible about how he screamed at you in the caves, even if he was being controlled by the drug." Kairi said sadly.

"Yeah well, I don't blame him." Riku said noncaringly, as he approached a large crowd of people.

"Riku, that is the most terrible thing I think I've ever heard you say!" Kairi growled to him, surprised. "A 15-year-old boy, driven mad by the injuries he'd received minutes earlier, and injected with an anger-inducing drug! Sora trusts you with his life, and you know that he would never willingly scream at you like that!"

"Whatever. Anyway, I'm approaching a crowd and I don't want suspicion. I'll talk to you later." Riku said, pushing aside a few people who were cheering. Riku didn't take any notice and simply walked across the street. Then, he heard a shout.

"Ah! A determined young man keeping his eye on his objective through all distractions!" Came the voice. It was enthusiastic, yet intelligent. Riku was standing in the middle of the street, and saw the man whose face had been plastered all over the city for the past two weeks – Kevin Brent.

The city held an election every year for who would be Prime Minister when the HBRC was out, and this year it had been Cloud Strife. But for the first time, he'd found heavy competition in Kevin Brent, the 'miracle worker'.

"Come on up!" Kevin called to him. He could see, in the corner of his eye, one of Kevin's men subtly reached into his jacket. Riku didn't want to risk it, and so stepped up onto the float which Brent was standing on. Kevin spied the heart-shaped necklace Riku wore.

"Unless mine eyes deceive me, it seems that this decisive boy in front of us is no less than a member of the beloved **Three of Hearts**!" Kevin yelled to the people, and they began cheering at a far greater level. Riku knew that this was one good politician. He'd quickly turned the minor inconvenience Riku had caused into a publicity stunt.

"So, what brings a member of your most-adored group out into the common streets? You haven't received a call, have you?" The man asked, making sure that the conversation could be heard by the entire crowd around them.

"Uhm… No Sir. I'm merely getting food and supplies for us. One of ours is injured." Riku said, expecting a quick end to the conversation, but instead Kevin continued, determined to milk a rare publicity opportunity with a member of the Three of Hearts.

"Ah yes, the kidnapping fiasco with Adam Owen." Kevin said, a flash of anger passing over his face. However, then he returned his features to their bright smile. "But yes, you'll need to run along and get those supplies – but why don't I take the behalf of the city and give you a small portion of what we owe you three in exchange for your limitless services to the city?" Kevin asked, and the crowd roared in approval.

"It's really not necessary-" Riku began, but found Kevin Brent shoving 50 000 Munny into his hand.

"And thank you, Three of Hearts, for keeping our city safe! I pray you good luck in all your endeavours, and a speedy recovery for your downed man!" Kevin yelled, and the crowd cheered. Kevin then gestured that Riku was fine to go. Riku nodded his thanks, and stepped off the float, unaware that the whole meeting with Kevin had been watched by a rooftop spy.

The sixteen-year-old, an expert in invisibility, camouflage, and stealth, connected his long range camera to a small laptop computer. Instantly the pictures on the camera began cross referencing, until the words **MATCH FOUND** appeared on the screen in big green letters. The teen's name was Teague. Teague opened up a secure, secret radio connection.

"I got him. Riku Bourdon Gallagher."

--

As the lady scanned the items he passed through, Riku glared at the newspaper sitting on it's stand.

**CITY UNDER THREAT – NEW ****ACTIVE TERRORIST GROUP**

**A new gang of criminals has surfaced in Hollow Bastion. Last night, ****the Southern Peritha Bank was robbed by three people. All three wore powered armour suits – One appeared to be rather normal, Another incredibly large and the last one rather slim – and many people were injured, and a lot of money stolen. The lead man called himself 'Volt'. Law enforcement accepts any leads as to identifying and capturing the criminals. Citizens are warned that they are all armed and extremely dangerous.**

Riku tore his eyes from the paper, passed the last of the items onto the counter and ran a hand through his hair. A large screen was playing a newscast, and noticed that all the supermarket citizens watching it. He too stole a glance and saw Kevin Brent, obviously getting down to business after his parade.

"…And my final election promise, to all citizens, is law enforcement. What my opposition, Cloud Strife, has failed to do, is begin a military capable of handling the rampant crime throughout Hollow Bastion, and now has begun too late for the city to properly recover." Several enthusiastic shouts from the crowd could be heard, along with a smattering of insults aimed at Cloud Strife.

Kevin held up a hand to silence the crowd, and continued talking. "Today, I met one of the Three of Hearts, the city's beloved vigilante justice group. Their member, continuing with a normal life amongst fixing the mess which they take as their responsibility, was an inspiration to me."

"Is he still harping on about that?" Riku asked under his breath as he grabbed his shopping bag. He was about to pay and leave, when he heard something that caught his attention.

"And therefore, I would like to call the member of the Three of Hearts that I met today to a private meeting with me at 8 PM tonight – to perhaps discuss what I hope will evolve to a full on co-operation between my law enforcement promises and their vigilante efforts!" He yelled, with many people roaring their approval.

"That'll be 3500 Munny, sir." The lady said, and Riku slammed a 5000 onto the table. "Keep the change." He said, grabbed his shopping, and ran.

--

"Face the Truth!" Riku hissed to Kairi at the door, and Kairi accepted the password and opened the door. Riku quickly strode in, and put the shopping on the bench of the small kitchen. "Did you see the news?" Riku asked his female friend.

"Yes, I saw both segments concerning you." Kairi said, pulling an apple out of a shopping bag and taking a bite. "Do you reckon you should go?"

"I reckon so." Riku said, beginning to load things into the fridge and freezer. "I mean, it can't hurt – the guy is practically offering us all the help and resources we need, even the police."

Kairi nodded acknowledgingly as Riku placed the last of the shopping into the fridge. Suddenly, a loud siren sounded. Kairi's eyes widened in shock. Kairi ran out of the room and into the laboratory, with Riku in tow.

Sora lay in a bed, unconscious, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His face was scrunched up in his sleep, and he was shuddering violently. His skin was also quickly shifting colours, to purple and black, then normal again.

"His Heartless has reacted with the slash Sephiroth gave him!" Kairi panicked, going around to get a tranquilizer. Riku held down Sora's torso as he began to have spasms, jerking up and down. Kairi came back and immediately injected the tranquilizer. Sora instantly relaxed, his chest softly contracting and relaxing as he breathed.

"That," Kairi panted, the stress of the sudden situation settling down, "Is what I was afraid of."

"How do we stop **that**?" Riku asked. "I mean, what if no-one's here if that happens again?"

Kairi hooked Sora up to a life-support machine. "Setting this up should keep his bloodstream devoid of infection and his pulse normal." Kairi said, then heard a beep from the other room. She sighed. "Hang on a sec, I gotta check that." She said, and left the laboratory.

Riku was left standing by Sora's bed. Suddenly the brunette boy's eyes fluttered open, and the tension in the air was disturbed only by Sora's soft breathing. "Riku… Thank you…" He said.

Riku immediately forgot all of the previous anger he'd held toward Sora and merely placed his hand on Sora's stomach. "Don't worry, Sora." He said, and used his fingers to close Sora's eyes. "Everything will be alright."

--

At 8:00 P.M. precisely, Kevin was just talking to the media when he noticed a figure in a white cloak walking up to them. "And it looks like he has come!" Kevin bellowed, causing all the cameras to turn around. Riku summoned a pool of darkness underneath him and fell through it. All the media gasped, but Kevin only watched as Riku jumped out of the pool of darkness that had just materialized in front of him.

"No bullshitting, Brent." Riku said, right in front of the opposition leader.

Kevin Brent didn't even flinch, but instead merely nodded. "Alright then. Please, no media." He said as he turned and walked into the room behind the parade. His two bodyguards followed, as did Riku.

"No bugs, boss. No-one can hear or see anything." Said one of the bodyguards.

"And no-one can get in or out." Said the other, in a voice deeper than thunder. The man who said it was huge, at least 8 feet tall, and as bulky as most trucks.

"I may as well cut to the chase, Riku." Kevin said sternly.

"How do you know my name-" Riku began, but was cut off as a single person materialized in thin air. He was slim, and wore a Powered Suit. His hair was silver and spiky, and he twirled a combat knife in between his fingers.

"This is Teague." Kevin said, as though nothing had changed. "He's a sixteen-year-old invisibility and stealth incredible. Also great with knives. I've had him spy on you since the fiasco with the kidnapping." Kevin said.

Riku felt a sudden urge to summon his Keyblade. "Just who are you, anyway?" He demanded.

"Me? I have not told a single lie. I am determined to help the people. I am a politician. My name is Kevin Capricorn Brent. But there is one thing I have not told the people: You know the Nobody Gene? The drugs circulating throughout the city? They were all manufactured by my scientists, funded by my wealth… I am the drug lord."

Riku summoned his Keyblade and dashed forward. Kevin, however, quickly pulled out a pistol and shot Riku in the left arm. Riku dropped Way To Dawn, and clutched his bleeding arm with his good hand. He dropped to all fours.

"Riku, listen. I asked you to come so that I offer you this: With my power and charisma, and the way the civilians love your little vigilante group, we could rule Hollow Bastion together!" Kevin said, throwing his hands up enthusiastically.

Riku looked up, glaring with the utmost hatred. "And if we refuse?"

Kevin smirked, and pointed to the massive bodyguard, who turned on a screen. Riku and Kevin turned to look at it, and it was through a hidden camera somewhere inside the Three of Hearts' base. It showed Sora, resting on his bed with the life support, and Kairi beside him.

"I have many contacts, Riku. A lot of them in the power department." Kevin said. "Now, Riku, will you and your two friends join me? Have a profit in the product I sell, and lead our armies in their crackdowns?"

"Get real!" Riku spat back.

"You disappoint me, Riku." Kevin sighed, and pulled out a communicator. "Power off in Area 6-2."

Riku watched in horror as the camera went absolutely black, and the sound of a cry, followed by a heart monitor flatlining, rang out. The camera turned on its dark vision, and Kairi could be seen pumping her hands into the dying Sora's chest, trying to make him breathe.

"You sick fuck!" Riku swore at Kevin, and picked up Way To Dawn.

Kevin merely smirked. "Power on in Area 6-2." He then lowered the communicator.

Riku looked and sighed with relief. Kairi was panting, but Sora's life support was back on and his heart rate pulsing again.

Kevin Capricorn Brent dusted off his suit and looked back at the pained Riku. "Well, Riku? Now will you join us? It's time to choose…"

Riku thought. He thought of Sora, whose wounds could only be healed with undisturbed rest. He thought of Kairi, who wouldn't stand a chance if Sora was out and he was dead. He thought of Hollow Bastion, who needed strong leaders to find peace again.

Riku lashed out, slashing Kevin's security guard in the stomach. The massive one pulled out a machine gun and began firing. The hundreds of bullets caused Riku to run - he bolted up the stairs of the building, and fired bursts of Dark Firaga at the wall. It smashed open, and Riku jumped from it. The massive guard stopped at the hole in wall and kept firing at the teenager as he fell.

Riku rolled when he hit the ground to prevent damage, and ran as fast his legs could carry him. He heard a shout behind him. "That member of the Three of Hearts just tried to kill Kevin Brent!" He heard more gunshots, and kept running.

The monster of a man approached Kevin as he overlooked his lead guard man getting patched up by medics. "I ordered everyone we had to pursue Riku until he's dead." The beast said, then turned his attention to the guard. "How's George?"

"He'll be okay. And good work, Geno." Kevin said, then stood up. "Grab a gun. We have another visit to make. Come, Teague."

--

Kairi watched in horror as the cameras followed the fleeing Riku as he ran, all the way out of the city. Suddenly an alarm rang out – the intruder alert. She looked at the camera to see two people gathered at the door, with a huge man trying to smash it down.

Kairi immediately braced herself as the door smashed in, sending shrapnel everywhere. Kairi dived, and watched as the two people entered.

"Kevin!" Kairi yelled, and stood up. Immediately, Geno, the monster of a man, aimed his rifle at Kairi.

"Well well well!" Kevin said. "The Princess of Heart!"

Kairi edged towards the side of the room. "I heard everything Riku heard. You're the drug lord! And unless I'm mistaken… You're Volt!" She said, moving very slowly, her red hair shifting ever-so-slightly.

"Bingo!" Kevin said. "And I've come to make you the offer that Riku refused. Join us, Kairi. With your research on the drugs and their cures, and Sora's Keyblade strength, you two become two of the richest and most powerful people in the world!" He roared, and Kairi just continued edging forward. Kevin sighed.

"Really, Kairi, you thought that I wouldn't notice. Yes, I did see the revolver lying on the table, and you're not really being discreet about getting it." Kevin said, and suddenly Kairi heard a metallic shifting noise behind her. She looked and saw a knife at her throat.

"Boo." Said Teague. Kairi stiffened up in fear, and Teague picked up the revolver, emptied it of its rounds and threw it toward Kevin, who caught it. The politician then straightened his tie.

"Well, Kairi? Your life and Sora's life hang in the balance. I'm even willing to forgive Riku if you two accept." Kevin said, and then began laughing.

Suddenly a beam of light shot out of a doorway and hit the knife out of Teague's hand. Sora dashed out and smashed Teague in the back with his Keyblade. It smashed in, and sparks flew everywhere. Teague cried out in pain as Sora's Keyblade went through his suit invisibility unit and into his back. Sora then kicked the stealth expert back to Kevin and Geno's feet.

"Sora!" Kairi yelled as Sora stood between the group of three and Kairi.

"And here's the cavalry." Kevin said calmly. "Sora, I believe you heard what we said to Kairi. Join us or we'll kill Kairi." He said, and Geno shifted his rifle's aim between the two.

"Kairi will die?" Sora said, bowing his head. He dropped his Keyblade. "No. That wasn't part of the deal." He opened the palm of his hand to reveal a grenade, with no pin inside. He turned to Kairi.

"I love you." The brunette said, tears in his eyes.

"I love you too!" Kairi yelled, crying as she realised what Sora was doing. Sora smiled again, then threw the grenade to the ground and picked up his Keyblade, stabbing it into the ground. The grenade detonated, tearing the room apart with a colossal explosion. The fire flew throughout the room, sending Kairi flying backwards.

Kairi felt everything around her. The fearing flame of the grenade, and high-pitched ringing in her ears… She slammed her eyes shut. He didn't know if Sora had summoned his Reflega spell in time. She didn't know if Kevin Brent had survived. All she could feel was blackness as her head hit the back wall, knocking her unconscious.

-- To Be Continued…

Wow, sorry that took a while! I can't really say much that wasn't already revealed in the chapter, so all can say is that I hope you enjoyed, and to please review! Once again, thanks to all my regular reviewers!


	4. Flatline

--

Wow, once again, thanks to all for the reviews! RoxasTheOther… I'm not sure if that was a criticism or a compliment, but thanks anyway!

NOTE: This Fanfiction contains fairly heavy violence, language, and themes that may make some readers uncomfortable. If you think any of the above mentioned things will incline you to leave, do so now, and I hope you will find preference in a lighter story. If you're okay with that and are reading this story, I do hope you enjoy the chapter!

Three of Hearts

Chapter 4 – Flatline

The sixteen year old's panting breath coursed through the air around his face, puffing out bursts of silver steam in the cold forest air. His body screamed at him to rest, but Riku had no time for such luxuries. He could hear bootsteps behind him, and Riku urged himself on. They'd chased him since the previous night – private mercenaries hired by Kevin Brent. Riku snarled at the name, only imagining what horrors the man had committed to his two best friends – best friends that Riku himself had left behind.

Hmph. What a friend he was.

"He's over there!" A voice yelled out, and suddenly gunshots filled the surrounding area. Soldiers began taking up positions in order to get the best shot on Riku, the one to get all the glory and rewards from their employer.

Riku jumped into the air and summoned Way To Dawn, holding it out in front of him, blocking bullets. "Reflega!" He hissed, and the shield went around him as he fell into a pack of the private mercenaries. They all turned their guns upon the Reflega spell and fired at it, watching it shatter bit by bit, pane after pane falling to the ground.

The mercenaries watched, trying to see if anyone had survived in the dust. One man stepped forward, only to suddenly scream and fall back, a slash in his chest. Immediately the others fired into the dust, but then a wave of Dark Firaga smashed through the air, causing each soldier to cry out in excruciating pain, then begin clutching at the grotesque, purple, pulsing burns over their bodies. Riku snatched up one of the solder's Submachine Guns, and quietly shot each soldier in the head. He took all their ammo, as well a duffel bag full of explosives and supplies, and pressed on.

Eventually Riku came to a stream. He couldn't hear or see any soldiers around, so he decided to take a break – but he never let his guard down. He washed the blood off his Keyblade, and then splashed the cold water over his face. He quietly checked the ammo cartridges for the gun he'd picked up, keeping the full cartridges, filling the half-full ones with other half-full ones, and discarding empty ones. As he slot a cartridge into his rifle, he caught sight of something on the other side of the river – the small village of tents were the soldiers he'd just killed had made their base. There was also a small wooden hut. Riku carefully waded through the stream, feeling the cool water bringing hours of much-needed relief.

He quickly did a check of all the tents being empty, which they were, then moved his attention to the hut. He walked up to it and flung open the door, sweeping the area with his gun. He saw no-one, so he stepped inside.

"RRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!"

"_Mental note: Check the windows next time."_ Riku thought as a young mercenary, no older than Riku, charged at him with a long knife. The silver-haired teen quickly reacted, flicking the safety off his SMG. Riku's Submachine Gun collided with the enemy blade, which Riku then threw back. He fired a few bullets, but they hit the wall behind.

The mercenary again clashed blade with gun, trying to point Riku's gun toward Riku's head. Riku pushed against him, trying to get a straight shot at the soldier's head. Suddenly the gun discharged, firing a rapid stream of bullets - which made Riku drop the gun in surprise. A bullet smashed into the mercenary's knife, causing the blade to skid across the floor – right at Riku's feet. As the rifle kept sputtering bullets, splintering the wooden walls around them, it fired an incendiary grenade from its grenade holding area.

The grenade bounced out the floor into one of the tents – and FOOM! The effect was immediate. Three or four of the tents went up with the initial blast, and the fire spread in seconds across all of the tents. Anyone in a helicopter would be able to see the smoke from Kilometres away. Both teenagers however, launched for the weapons nearest to them. Riku snatched up the long knife, and the mercenary grabbed Riku's SMG. The mercenary held down the trigger, and five bullets promptly hit the wall. Riku flicked his wrist, sending the knife flying at the mercenary – it flipped the through the air perfectly, spinning immaculately straight – A sickening squelch was heard as the mercenary gripped his wrist, his hand pierced through the wall by the knife.

Immediately Riku grabbed his gun and holstered it, while summoning Way To Dawn all at the same time in a single, fluent motion. He held his Keyblade to the mercenary's neck. "Where is Kevin Brent?" Riku asked the mercenary. The man coughed and spluttered, still clutching his wrist. "TALK!" Riku roared, slamming his fist so hard into the wall that it cracked.

"He's in a blue skyscraper... On the edge of Hollow Bastion City." The mercenary wheezed, and Riku held his blade to the mercenary's face. "It's his… Headquarters… And private residence… Just follow upstream…" He gasped, and then screamed in pain as Riku pulled the long knife out of the wall, and the soldier dropped to his knees, clutching his wounded hand and wailing horribly. He was beginning to look a bit faint, as his face and torso had gone pale with blood loss – there seemed to be litres it on the floor. More and more blood spurted out of his hand, and Riku realized that he'd cut the opening to an artery.

As Riku watched the young soldier die before his eyes, Riku thought about a plan of action. It was simple enough. He was going to return to the building… And rescue Sora and Kairi at any cost. Suddenly Riku heard a gasp of breath, and then a thud. The mercenary had at last fallen in the litres of his own blood, dead. Riku looked at the long, silver knife he had used, and decided to keep it. He grabbed the leather sheath on the table and ran out. By now, the fire that had been raging outside had run out of quick fuel such as dry grass and twigs to burn, and was down only to a few embers. Riku looked up, and saw the plume of smoke ascending Kilometres into the sky. Riku heard the distant whine of a helicopter, and made haste. He washed off his new knife, hooked the sheath into his belt, and sheathed the blade. He began running, and didn't dare take a break until he could no longer hear the helicopters… And could see Hollow Bastion in the distance.

-a-

Kairi awoke with a start, to find herself in a bed she didn't recognize. It was a cold, white room, dimmed of the lights, the only sources of light coming from the thin strips that made it through the blinds, and the large plasma screen television. Kairi suddenly realized that she had medical gear all over her body – none on the areas she'd prefer not to be touched, at least these people had some respect – and tore it all off quickly. She struggled with her memories amidst the fog of waking for a second, but then looked at the television screen. It had Kevin Brent giving a large smile, delivering a speech. Below, the headline read simply:

**KEVIN BRENT WINS ELECTION IN A LANDSLIDE**

And it all came flashing back. Sora! Brent! She suddenly began stressing out, wondering if Sora was dead, when suddenly the door opened. It appeared just to be a normal guard, and he was carrying a food tray. He plopped it in front of her on the bed. "Eat." He said to her. "Mr. Brent will be here in an hour, so I advise you eat up." Kairi remained stubborn, and refused to touch the food as the guy turned to leave. "Eat. Don't worry, it's not poisoned. Mr. Brent has much more dignity than that." He said, and closed the door.

Kairi remained stubborn for a minute or two, but then realized how ravenously hungry she was. She tore the sandwich off the tray and ripped into it, eating large chunks with every huge bite she took. After the sandwich was gone (which it was in a matter of seconds) she gulped down the milk provided. After the short period of complete primal instincts however, she brushed off her clothes of crumbs and waited.

About ten minutes later the door opened, and in walked the new Prime Minister, with a cocky, swaggering gait. He stared around the room and inhaled, as if taking in the beauty of the world. He then noticed Kairi, and stepped toward her, hands held out in a greeting.

"Good morning! How's my princess? Life is certainly something to be living!" He said, and when he caught sight of the death glare Kairi was giving him, he turned a bit more serious – however, his spirit was not dampened. "Oh, what's wrong?" He asked in a mocking tone, still stepping toward Kairi.

"What are you doing?" Kairi asked back.

"What?"

"Why am I still alive?"

"Would you rather be dead?"

Kairi considered the question. Her lover and best friend, Sora, was dead. Riku had been chased out of the city be soldiers and was most likely dead. She was in the capture of their arch enemy. Kevin knew the next thing Brent would say would be an order for her public execution.

"We need your help, Kairi."

She certainly wasn't expecting that. "My help? Why?"

Kevin suddenly turned serious, and turned his back to Kairi. "Do you remember Adam Owen, Kairi? The man who kept the One-Winged Angel as his own twisted pet and was creating a power suit for me?"

"Of course. How could I forget?" She said, remembering the kidnapping.

"Yeah, well, you can't really expect a man to create power suits at such advanced levels if he hasn't got a FUCKING HEAD!" Brent yelled, suddenly whirling around. Kairi winced. Kevin began pacing around the room. "So I want you, Kairi, to lead the project. Use your knowledge of science and chemistry to power-up my inventory. Power suits. New Nobody Genes! You will be rewarded handsomely."

Kairi thought about it, and tears began gathering at the edges of her eyes. "W-Why would I w-work for you?!" She cried. "You've killed my t-two best friends! What could possibly make me want to-"

"The knowledge that Sora Osment is still alive."

Kairi immediately looked up. "You're lying!" She gasped, still sobbing.

Kevin nodded to Geno, and he walked over to the television screen and typed in a few numbers. Suddenly the image changed to Sora. The camera was viewing through a webcam of some sort, through the bars of a cell. Inside, Sora had his hands clasped in chains, which connected to the walls. He wore nothing but shorts, and not one centimetre of exposed skin wasn't bruised, cut, or covered in grime and dirt. He appeared to be coughing, and moaning in pain.

"Incredible, really." Kevin said, looking up at the screen. "He's 15, and yet he's lived down there in that little cage without food, water, or company for 30-something hours… And hasn't gone insane. In fact, we've been tracking his progress. First he was in shock, then came realization… Now he's in utter despair. Much longer and he'll go to anger, and then insanity… That is, if he doesn't die first."

Kairi whirled around to face Kevin Brent. "YOU SICK MOTHERFUCKER! HOW THE FUCK COULD YOU DO THAT TO **ANYONE**?!"

Kevin merely stood still. "Because you are the key to his survival. Join me, Kairi, and I will move Sora to the prisoner cell at the bottom of this very building, and keep him well fed and watered."

Kairi gulped, and suddenly wished that the three friends had prepared more for this kind of situation. But Kairi couldn't decline the offer – not if Sora's life and her own life were under threat. She sighed. "I'll do it."

Kevin Brent grinned. "Welcome to the Nobody Gene Manufacturing Centre. Your employment begins now." He said.

-b-

Riku peeked around the corner of the huge blue skyscraper, and saw a few guards moving away from main entrance. Riku used his ark magic to cloak himself, and treaded lightly to the huge entrance. The automatic doors opened for him, and the receptionist at the desk looked up, only to see that nothing was in the doorway. Riku glided stealthily to the list of floors. All floors 30 and above were restricted, and so were the basements – Riku had a hunch that they were the places where the prisoners were kept and the drugs made. Riku flung open the door to the emergency stairs, and began running up them.

Kairi stood within her new laboratory. It was filled with far more equipment than her makeshift one in the Three of Hearts base, and they were all the latest variations – the scientific equipment that Kairi could only dream of having. Kevin Brent stood in the doorway, watching Kairi look at her new lab in awe. "I trust you like it?" He asked her, and she turned around shamefacedly, and nodded. "As promised, he's right here." Kevin said, and stood aside so that Geno could walk in, holding both of Sora's wrists with one of huge hands. Sora looked more tired and in pain than Kairi had ever seen him; with countless cuts and bruises, covered in dirt and grime, and dark rings underneath his eyes.

Geno let go off Sora's wrists, and the two teenagers instantly ran and embraced each other. "We'll go." Kevin Brent said. "But this room is designed with a magic nullifier built into the very walls. You won't be able to summon Keyblades." He continued, and he and Geno left.

"Sora… I'm so sorry…" Kairi said, crying, while holding Sora in her arms. She could feel how much weaker Sora had become – his grip was much weaker, his voice much quieter also.

"Kairi… It's okay. I'm fine now." The brunette said, returning the embrace. Suddenly, Sora's eyes began to water, and he sobbed into Kairi's shoulder. Kairi patted his head and stroked his hair as he sobbed. "Riku…" The brunette mumbled, and Kairi nodded.

"I know, Sora. He's gone." She said. Sora lifted his head, his eyes reddened, and he kissed Kairi on the lips. Kairi held the brunette's head in her hands, and smiled. "How about we stop fighting? Just give up this one? For Riku's sake."

Sora shifted so he was sitting opposite Kairi. "Yeah. It's over." He said, closing his eyes.

"So you two lazy bums were just going to wait for me to rescue you?" Came a familiar voice from the doorway. Both Sora and Kairi looked up, to see Riku in the doorway.

"RIKU!" They both yelled simultaneously, running over to their older friend. Both of them embraced Riku, causing the older teen to reel back, laughing as they held on to him.

"We thought you were dead!" Sora said, holding on to him.

Riku laughed, but then looked on as a figure appeared at the end of the doorway. The figure was none other than Kevin Brent, looking on at the three. "Well isn't this a touching scene?" He asked in the utmost rage.

"Stay here. He's mine." Riku said to his two friends, and stepped forward. "Just try and kill me. You can't get away with what you've done, Brent."

"We apologise. Kevin Brent isn't here right now." He said in a much deeper, more unnatural voice. "There is only…" He suddenly moved faster than any of three of Sora's, Riku's, and Kairi's eyes could follow. In less than a second, he was in front of them. "VOLT!" He screamed, and slammed the palm of his hand into Riku's chest. An electromagnetic pulse ran through Kevin's body, and engulfed Riku in the lightning. Riku screamed as the electricity coursed through his body, and was sent flying and smashed against the wall, his vision going black.

-c-

Riku's vision slowly faded into view – to reveal that five figures stood around him. Two were Sora and Kairi. "W-what's going on…?" Riku asked, and he heard the click of a gun. Riku stayed on his knees.

"This is the end of the line, Riku." Kevin Brent said, holding the pistol. "I want you to listen to me carefully, and make your decisions accordingly. I'm giving you three one final chance to join me."

Riku turned and looked behind him. He was standing on the balcony, a balcony with no rails, on one of the top levels of the 50-story building. At the bottom ran a large stream, which ran on for Kilometres. Sora stood battered, and bruised, next to Kairi. They were hand in hand, both looking very scared.

Riku stared back at Kevin. "I won't join you. Not now, not ever."

Kevin sighed, and then turned to the others. "Get them both out of here." He said, and the two soldiers nodded. They both pulled out pistols and held them to Sora's and Kairi's backs as they ordered them out. When they were gone, Brent turned his attention back to Riku. By now, Riku had gotten to his feet.

"My friends will resist. You can't possibly get away with all that you've done." Riku said to Kevin Brent.

"Cut off the head, and the body will die. When their fighting spirit is crushed, the battle is won. Guess who the fighting spirit is, Riku?" Kevin asked triumphantly. Riku's eyes widened as he realised that it wasn't Sora – it was him. Kevin nodded, smirked, and raised his pistol.

"Goodbye, One of Heart." He said, and fired.

The shot hit Riku in the stomach, and the pain sent him reeling back. He fell over the balcony, blood spurting from his stomach. Kevin watched as the body fell through the sky and landed in the stream below eight seconds later with a massive splash.

Kevin stood on the edge of the balcony and spat. "And good riddance." He said, and turned to walk away.


	5. Insertion

Wow, thanks SkyLandOcean, and of course to you, Kevin! I am referring to the real-life Kevin, not the walking, breathing devastation-causer I have created here! XD Also, I'm gonna be up at the coast enjoying my holidays for a day or two, but I'll be back very soon, so drop a review to surprise me when I get back! :D

Note: This fanfiction has no sexual content, but rather has fairly heavy violence, language, and themes that may make some readers uncomfortable. If you think any of the above mentioned things will incline you to leave, do so now, and I hope you will find preference in a lighter story. If you're a veteran and are reading this story, I do hope you enjoy the chapter!

Three of Hearts

Chapter 5 – Insertion

Night had fallen across Hollow Bastion. The news had come – the vigilante group, the Three of Hearts, who had attacked Kevin Brent – were gone. It was a bustling city night, and it was at this moment that a train came roaring through one of the tracks. Inside it was Kevin Brent and his hostage, Kairi. Both were unaware of the figure riding the top of the train – the man that Kevin Brent only saw as a weak politician. Big mistake, Mr. Brent.

"This is Cloud Strife to Liberator Base." Cloud said on the radio, staying flat to try and avoid both the detection of passing helicopters and not getting smashed into one of the frequent beams of metal overhead the train. "Landing completed. Proceeding to snatch the Caged Phoenix. Beginning Operation." He said and, abandoning all stealth, pulled out his massive First Tsurugi and sliced a massive portion of the roof away in a single slash. He jumped in and landed on a bewildered soldier, the First Tsurugi's full weight slamming into the soldier's chest. The others raised their guns, but Cloud merely swung his enormous sword, the sheer force of the blow knocking all the soldiers off their feet.

Cloud immediately slammed Tsurugi into the floor of the train, sending forward a massive burst of blue energy. It blew open the door to the next carriage, and smashed all the soldiers near the door into the wall. Cloud ran through the train – deflecting bullets, blasting open doors, and slashing doors as he went. He ran through the last door and found himself face to face with Kevin Brent. Cloud swung his sword, but the blade met nothing. He saw a flash of yellow to his left, and jumped to the right to avoid the bolt of lightning that surged at where he'd previously stood. Cloud pulled up the First Tsurugi and held it defensively, only for Kevin Brent to leap on front of him, the palm of his hand covered in electricity. "DIE!" He screamed, and slammed his palm into the side of the First Tsurugi. It traveled through the blade and into Cloud Strife, who was shocked for a moment, convulsing in pain, but picked up his sword and lunged at Kevin Brent, sending the tyrant flying back a few carriages. Cloud finally gave into the electric blast and was then thrown back.

He spied Kairi, who was hiding underneath one of the train's seats – he took her arm in his hand and contacted his radio. "I've got her. We need a portal NOW!" Cloud yelled into his radio as he saw Kevin Brent charging through the carriages with a squad of soldiers. Immediately, a portal of blue opened between Cloud and Kevin. Cloud lifted Kairi onto his back, picked up his blade and began running. Kevin Brent's eyes widened in realization and he ran faster – just in time to see Cloud and Kairi escape through the blue portal... And into the base of the resistance group, the Liberators.

While traveling through the portal, Cloud turned on his radio. "Primary objective: Snatch the Caged Phoenix completed. Secondary objective: Kill the Pious Flea… failed. Operation: INSERTION was a success."

-a-

Pain. Neverending pain.

"We have to get him to the medical bay! Quickly!"

His body clawed at life, each breath a burn refusing to end, each continuous pushing him closer to death.

"We need another blood pump, and quickly! Apply pressure to the wound!"

And then, a prickling light. A light that brought not the sweet comfort of death, but the spiky, piercing pain of awakening.

Riku's eyes opened very slowly, blurring to the point of blindness. Riku grunted in pain, but found he couldn't move his right arm. Instead, his left shot to his side alone. Riku sat up with great difficulty, and crossed his legs. He tested his joints – everything appeared to be intact, save for his right shoulder. But his right elbow, hand, and finger joints all worked fine. Then, in walked Cloud Strife.

"Riku. You should sleep. You're gonna need quite a bit of rest to recover from that." He said, striding over to where Riku cradled his arm.

"What happened? How am I still alive?" Riku asked, shifting his left arm's attention to his stomach when pain shot through it.

"Well, the bullet pierced your abdomen, of course, and lacerated the stomach wall, going straight through the gut to hit a nerve. The tough muscle around the nerve finally stopped the bullet in its tracks, but the bolt of electricity you'd received from Brent before you were shot made the shock of the bullet jolt straight from your stomach up into your right arm. As a result, it's like your stomach was wounded by the shot, but your arm is feeling the aftereffects." Cloud explained. "I presume you're right-handed, so fighting with the Keyblade, aiming a gun, and just standard movements will be a problem until the shock passes and your mobility is regained."

"And how long will that be?" Riku asked, standing up.

"Our best doctor predicts that you will slowly regain your movement and skills, but you will only be 100 percent battle-ready in a month." Cloud said, adding that last part with a short regret.

"A MONTH?!" Riku stormed, flailing his good arm. "My two best friends are in serious danger! If I don't rescue them soon, God only knows what'll happen!"

"Riku, didn't you wonder who made the prediction?" Cloud asked. "Come on in, Kairi." Cloud said, and Kairi walked through the door. Riku looked shocked for a second, but then visibly relaxed.

"Thank you for saving her life…" He said. "And my own… But I have to rescue Sora!"

"You'll be killed if you go out there, Riku!" Kairi said, her voice shaking with tears. "I don't know what happened to Sora, and I don't want to lose you to the unknown as well!"

Riku stopped in his tracks. "So, this is it, then? Us against the overwhelming odds of Kevin Brent's government?"

"Hey, overwhelming odds? Tell me, what's new?" Cloud joked, placing a hand on Riku's shoulder.

-b-

Cloud stared at the large cylindrical pad before him. Cloud's father had built the base they were in before the Heartless had invaded Hollow Bastion, for one purpose: The sole containment of the person in that pod. Cloud knew her history, what she could do and thus, how she could help them. But, if things went as they had 11 years before this day, Cloud knew that she would be almost impossible to contain. The last time, she stood on a hill of corpses before at last falling.

"Target is Test Subject A-14, PRIME SPECIMEN." The tech man next to Cloud said, reading out the details on the person in the pod. "It seems that she could still think limited thoughts when asleep. She's spelled out a name for herself." The tech man said, and Cloud stepped up to look at the screen. There spelled out, was the name.

Heather.

"Begin heating process and use the air shaft option to erase the chance of freezer burn. Do not crack the case unless you have my direct permission, and I want the physical guys to set up a standard movement obstacle course for the new arrival. I also want snipers ready, but out of view." Cloud ordered. "Let's see if she's changed from the girl I saw her to be."

Cloud had only been 13 when the Heartless attacked Hollow Bastion. But, a year before, his father had done something incredible.

-c-

"_Here she is, Cloud!" Cloud's father, Rufus, boomed proudly. "Test Subject A-14. The first artificially created human on Hollow Bastion. Her enhanced abilities are all working completely – she can jump very high, has great strength and speed, and excellent eyesight."_

"_Where am I?" The confused 7-year-old girl asked, looking around._

"_Hi! I'm Cloud!" Cloud said, stepping forward._

"_Cloud?" The girl said. "When I was given these abilities, it was very painful… And I kept hearing a man saying that he was doing this for his son…" the girl said, staring at her palms. "His son's name was Cloud! I HATE YOU!" She screamed, and lunged at Cloud._

_Cloud dived to avoid her lunge, but suddenly his father screamed out, "Contain her! She's gone berserk!" All around Cloud, bullets tore through the air. When at last the firing subsided, Cloud lifted his head, and the girl was gone. All the soldiers and scientists looked around nervously. "Alert the army! We need to contain her, quickly!" Rufus yelled._

-d-

"Sir, if it's any consolation, we still have the boy-"

"I DON'T CARE IF WE STILL HAVE SORA!"

Mikhail, the captain of Kevin Brent's guard force, stood in front of the tyrant, begging for his life. "Sir, how were we to know that Strife would drop from the heavens and-"

"Where were our helicopters? Were your pilots asleep not to notice the human being with the enormous sword on the top of the train, or are you just a FUCKING IMBECILE!" Brent screamed, whirling around to face the cowering man – even Geno seemed intimidated by his actions.

"Sir, such an avenue of attack was deemed impossible!" Mikhail pleaded, close to tears.

"Listen, you worthless piece of crap." Kevin said, stepping toward his guard master. "Kairi is a scientific genius. Nobody Gene cures, new weapons, the resistance will have far more power on their side! And Sora? Bring him in here!" Kevin yelled, snapping his fingers.

The doors opened, and Sora was dragged through. He was covered in bruises, cuts, and grime. Kevin knelt down to Sora and lifted the teen's chin with his finger. Sora stared at him, with sad, empty eyes. "How are you feeling, Sora?" He asked cruelly.

Kevin Brent stood back up. "Your loss of Kairi means that we now have barely any power over the resistance. No upper hand, no advantage." He said to Mikhail, who cowered further. "Sora's been eating very little, the guards give him regular beatings, and he thinks his best friend is dead. His pain is unparalleled."

Kevin stepped up to Mikhail. "And yet with a snap of my fingers I can send you into a far greater pain, a pain that makes Sora look like he's in a luxury, five-star hotel!" He yelled, and Mikhail began stammering. "SPIT IT OUT!" Kevin screamed, whipping out his pistol and shooting the man in the leg.

The man clutched his leg, screaming. "I'LL GIVE YOU ONE LAST CHANCE!" Brent shouted over the man's wailings. Kevin snarled, and the guards nodded, dragging the man out of the building. In his frustration, Brent whipped around and aimed his pistol at Sora's head. He stood there for a minute, panting, the ugly silence broken only by Sora's occasional whimper of pain and fear.

Finally, Brent lowered the gun and sighed. Instead, he walked up to the teen and kicked him in the stomach with all the force he could, making Sora cry out in pain. Sora was knocked onto his back, and Kevin went to stomp on him. "Sir, no!" Geno said, holding Kevin back. "Any more and it could be fatal!"

Kevin Brent immediately restrained himself, straightening his tie. "Yes, of course. Thank you for restraining me, Geno. Guards, please take Sora back to his cell."

-e-

Over the month that followed, Riku's aim and skill slowly returned, becoming more and more battle ready. With Kairi's help, the resistance got ready for battle, creating new armour, vehicles, and anti-Nobody Gene technology and weapons. Kevin Brent spent his time running Hollow Bastion, and creating more drugs and weapons to counter a rebel attack. Then, at last, a day came. Riku and Kairi sat down next to each other – for Riku's right arm was perfect again, and Kairi had finished her work on the Nobody Gene cure.

"Well, this is it, Kai." Riku said, looking into the sunset.

"Yeah…" Kairi said, also looking at the spectacle, but she then lowered her head, and began crying. "And to think… I've always been there for the last battle… And I could never do anything. But now it's Sora… And he's in so much pain…"

"And that's why we need to rescue him. You love him, right?" Riku asked, still just looking into the sunset.

"Yeah." Kairi said, blinking back her tears.

"I see… I wish you two the best of luck, once we get him back. I won't say anything." Riku said solemnly.

Kairi looked at Riku. "No way." She said. "You still have a crush on me?" She asked, and Riku nodded. "Silly Riku, I love you too! As a brother, friend and guardian, you're the best friend anyone could have!" She said, playfully punching Riku in the shoulder.

"I guess you're right. Besides, I love Sora in the same way you love me, and I bet he feels the same way." Riku said with a smile.

"Yeah… Riku, I love you because you're always there. You were willing to do anything to get me back when I was trapped in Sora's body, even if it meant sacrificing Sora… Even though that was terrible, in hindsight it really makes me see how much you cared for me, even if the darkness clouded your vision." Kairi said thoughtfully.

"And I love you because you're always there for support, and you're just a perfect soul… And Sora? He's always got my back, he's always willing to help me out or welcome me in, no matter what problems he has to push aside to do it." Riku said. He turned to Kairi, a mischievous smile on his face. "Besides, you two are so perfect for each other, I'm surprised that Sora didn't take you where you stood when you two first kissed."

Kairi whirled around, a mix of surprise and shock on her face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Haha. Oh, little Kairi. So innocent." Riku taunted, ruffling Kairi's hair as she silently fumed in annoyance. "Oh, alright. I'll stop." Riku said, and Kairi smiled.

"So Riku… That's why I'm determined. I'm determined to save Sora and kill Brent, whatever it takes." Kairi said, holding out her hand upwards.

"Yeah. No more hiding out in the shadows, for either of us. Let's save Sora, so that it's over at last." Riku said, grasping Kairi's hand.

Kairi summoned Heart's Desire (What I call Kairi's Keyblade) and Riku summoned Way To Dawn. Suddenly blue and purple magic began to flow between the two Keyblades. "What? Our Keyblades are interacting!" Kairi exclaimed.

Riku remained calm. "Well, I think I've seen this before, when my Keyblade and Sora's interacted… Kairi, we've never all wielded our Keyblades at once, with our hearts connected! If we do, something incredible may happen!" Riku said excitedly.

Kairi withdrew Heart's Desire, and the magic flow ended. "…We need to get him back. After you came, Brent got nervous. He said that Sora and I couldn't even be in the same building. I had to go to a different laboratory – Adam Owen's old laboratory, since they cleaned it up. I was on the train there when Cloud saved me, but Kevin still has Sora. We just need to get him back. I don't think I could ever love again if we don't…" Kairi said sadly, tears sliding down her face.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in." Riku said, and Cloud stepped in.

"Guys, I need your help, please. Bring your Keyblades." He said simply, and the two obeyed, summoning their Keyblades and following Cloud to the cryo chamber.

"Obstacle course 100 percent completed. Complete defrost completed. Sniper positions established, with Riku and Kairi ready for backup. Alright, cracking the case at your order, Sir." A resistance tech man said, preparing to press the 'Open' button on Heather's cryo tube.

Cloud drew the First Tsurugi and glared at the cryo tube. "Alright. Do it in 5." Cloud said, just staring at the tube which could contain their deaths.

"5…4…" The tech man said, as Riku and Kairi summoned their Keyblades, and the clack of a thousand sniper rifles turning off their safety filled the air.

"Cracking the case in 3…2…1…!"

-f-

It was dark, dirty and greasy inside the cell. Sora, the cell's lone inhabitant, didn't notice though. His body had been in shock for a month since Riku died. His will to live had been driven only by Kairi, and that she might still be alive. Sora heard steps coming up to his cell, the clang of it unlocking, and the creak of the door opening.

"Well, Sora? Are you ready for your grand debut?" Asked the voice of Kevin Brent.

Sora looked up at his captor, and whimpered in fear.

-g-

Heather's eyes fluttered open slowly, her consciousness slowly waking up. Her eyes blurred like crazy, unable to clearly see the person in front of her – a mass of black and blonde. "Wake up, Heather… It's time you opened your eyes again."

The voice ran through her memory, and she remembered as the voice of Cloud, the boy she had tried to kill. "Cloud…" She gasped, her first word in nine years.

"Indeed. My father wanted to seal you away forever, but I assure you I want naught but peace. Help us, Heather. Please." Cloud pleaded, and Heather thought.

"I've had nine years to contemplate this moment… About whether to forgive or not. And I came to the conclusion… That I had to forgive, otherwise I would have been sealed for such a period of my life, and learned nothing. After all, being at the right place at the wrong time, the wrong place at the right time, the right place at the right time or just the wrong place at the wrong time… Can make all the difference it's possible to make." Heather said to the blonde in front of her.

"Oh, thank you, Heather!" Cloud said in genuine gratitude to the 16-year-old in front of him. "I've lived a lot of my life… In guilt of what happened to you. Thank you, Heather, for forgiving me. And thank you… For joining our cause!"

"When I was sealed, the Heartless were invading… Have the fires of war come again?" Heather asked, and Cloud looked up.

"No, Heather, the fires engulfed us before we could fight them. Now the only thing left… Is the ashes."

END OF CHAPTER

Phew! That took a while – sorry it's late! I will look forward to your reviews! Now, the part in the middle to cut out ANY mentions of KairixRiku while Sora isn't there – it also wipes out the 'Yaoi' issue (one of my friends thought the story was Yaoi at times) so I hope that clears things up. With Heather on the resistance's side, can they topple Kevin Brent? You'll just have to wait and see!


	6. Torture

Here it is FINALLY, the long, LONG-awaited Chapter 6! I was put off writing for a bit because of Contact Destiny – writing 7500 words in a single week kinda tired me out for a while, but I'm back and I hope everyone is ready! Thanks again to Kaiyt, you're such a great reviewer that you're getting a story role! Thanks once more to SkyLandOcean and Kee Blayd - you two are the definition of awesome! And those who haven't reviewed yet, can you please click on that review button? It loves you, and so do I!

Three of Hearts

Chapter 6 – Torture

"Flawless." Cloud noted, watching Heather leap and bound over obstacles, dodging turret fire with flair. Heather whipped out two submachine guns and fired at the turrets, the bullets ricocheting off the hardened titanium alloy. She leapt to one of the guns and twisted it between her legs, pointing the weapon's barrels around. The other two turrets sparked and exploded in rapid succession as the bullets tore through their concrete plating.

Riku watched the girl silently, just staring at the perfect way she moved, in order to do the smallest tasks. Kairi looked on beside him, watching the way that she wielded her submachine guns with such accuracy and precision that they made sniper rifles look inaccurate. "Incredible." The redhead said. "After such a long inactivity, she should be physically unfit. Instead, her fitness has naturally grown to her age…"

"Excellent, Heather! Your combat efficiency is one hundred percent!" Cloud said over the intercom. "Now, face our prime swordmaster!" Riku jumped from his watching position and in front of Heather, who abandoned her submachine guns for the long knife that Riku handed her. The two instantly clashed, blades locked in a vicious stalemate that sent sparks flying across the room from the grinding of their blades. Riku pushed back the artificially created human, who leapt through the air at him, shocking Riku with her speed and strength. Riku leapt up to meet his adversary, giving 5 powerful blows that hit Heather back on the ground. Riku fell toward Heather, Way To Dawn closed in for a killing blow, but suddenly she was gone. Riku slammed into the ground, his Keyblade digging into the concrete floor. Suddenly, the emerald-eyed teenager saw a glint to his right, and quickly rolled out of the way of Heather's slash. She picked up Way To Dawn and attempted to slash Riku with it, but Riku summoned it back to him in a flurry of sparks and jumped at Heather.

Heather twisted her body, raised her sword above her head, and brought it down just as Way To Dawn barely missed her stomach. Riku saw the blade going down over his back and raised his leg, his boot colliding with Heather's hand – making her stumble back. Riku rolled forward as he landed and spun around to face the girl. Riku tapped into his dark reserves and suddenly, Way To Dawn was covered in dark purple fire. Riku darted at Heather, who charged at him, blade ready for another quick series of attacks.

"That's enough!" Cloud's voice rang out, as the huge First Tsurugi blocked Heather's knife, and Heart's Desire, held by Kairi, blocked Riku's Way To Dawn.

"Cloud!" Heather said in surprise, as she saw Cloud force his massive broadsword up, knocking Heather's knife back. Riku immediately withdrew Way To Dawn when Kairi blocked him.

"Perfect…" Kairi breathed. "She's an even match with Riku!" The group all lowered their blades, and Heather bowed.

"It's an honour to meet people such as you. You must be Riku's love interest, am I wrong?" Heather said, stepping forward and extending her hand. Kairi quickly waved her hands.

"Well, I actually love another man… But Riku here is one of my best friends!" She said, walking forth and shaking Heather's hand.

Meanwhile, up in the rafters, one of the Resistance members received a transmission from his visor. He clicked a button, and an audio clip played throughout his helmet's internal speakers.

"Now is the time."

The soldier nodded to himself and pressed the red button on the side of his head to confirm that he received the message. Seconds later, the Sergeant in his team contacted him on the radio.

"_Red-5, there was no objective to confirm. State your reasoning."_

He swore inwardly. He'd foolishly forgotten to switch his confirmation ping to private! His whole team had seen him ping the message! Down on the floor, Cloud was watching the teenagers converse. Suddenly, he felt his cell phone buzz in his pocket. He reached for it, flipped it open, and read the text message.

_Watch out for traitors._

_Wemble_

_Schmidt_

Seth Eisenhower  
Filini

Cloud stared at the message, confused. He clicked the redial button and waited for his unknown sender only to hear the female computer voice, _"The number you have called does not exist. Please try again."_

Up in the rafters, Corporal Schmidt Rakneg flicked off the safety of his sniper rifle and focused into the scope, the crosshair closing over Cloud Strife's temple. He snarled an obscenity towards the resistance leader, an ancient and harsh-sounding language.

On the ground, Heather saw the glint of the rifle. She quickly grabbed the First Tsurugi off Cloud's back, swinging the incredulously huge broadsword. A silencing shot was heard, followed by the metallic _ping!_ Of a deflected bullet. Cloud stared, stunned, as the bullet that would have been lodged in his head right now dropped a few feet away. Riku and Kairi summoned their Keyblades as a reflex action, and immediately used Reflega and Magnegra spells to both deflect any magic attacks and to draw any further bullets away from Cloud.

Heather jumped outside the protection of the half-sphere, and drew her arm back. With incredible precision she threw Riku's long knife – it cut through the air in immaculate circles, spinning toward its unfortunate target. The blade smashed right through the sniper scope of Schmidt's rifle, making him quickly pull his head away, a narrow escape. Cloud Strife quickly barked orders into his intercom. "Red-5, Corporal Schmidt, is a traitor! All units, don't lose him, and shoot to kill!"

He turned to the others. "I've received some names on who the traitors are. Kairi, I need you in the medical bay. You'll be safe there, and it's a guarantee that there will be casualties. There are four soldiers outside the door skilled in both combat and medicinal training – take them with you." Kairi saluted as her affirmative.

"Riku, I want you and the Red squad team up in the rafters to chase Schmidt. Don't let him escape – I have a feeling he's the leader of the group." Cloud said, and Riku nodded.

"Heather, you and I are going to the hangars – if they want to inflict damage, it'll be on the Wyverns." The Wyvern was a fighter plane developed for the resistance, specifically made for ground strafing and helicopter destruction. Heather also nodded.

"Also, everyone, look out for Wemble, Eisenhower, and Seth!" Cloud yelled, as the warriors darted off to their respective duties.

-a-

Riku and Red Team ran through the corridors after the retreating Schmidt, who seemed to just be going too fast for the others to catch up, with their heavy rifles and heavy gear and ammunition. Suddenly they reached a straight hallway, seeing Schmidt running down without looking back. Several soldiers pulled out their rifles and tried to shoot the running man, but all their shots missed the man. Riku swore and kept running – glancing at the wall signs as he sprinted.

Zero-Gravity Training Room 

Riku understood now. Not only was the Zero-Gee TR a point that could be easily locked, but it also needed to pressurize to open the door – making entry a long and arduous process. On the offchance that they got it, a firefight in zero gravity would be absolute hell. It was one against nine – a downright outnumbering in any other circumstance – but in zero gravity it would be much more likely the hit the majority of targets! Their only choice was get into the room before he closed it! He finally reached the safety of the room – Riku and Red Team pushed their legs to the absolute limits – But then the door snapped shut and locked, completely without Schmidt's help. The soldiers grinded to a halt, panting and standing in a shocked silence, completely in dismay at how helpless this had been.

Riku leaned against the wall, catching his breath, brushing the lazy bangs of his silver hair of out his face. He punched the wall in frustration, then cursed himself as the steel-enforced titanium walls gave his hand a surge of pain. In his anger, he whipped out his communicator headset and called room control – he wanted to know **how the hell** Schmidt had gotten into that room, and locked it, by himself and with no interaction! Usually the room was off limits!

"Room Control, hostile target Red-5, Corporal Schmidt, just got into a restricted Zero- Gravity Training Room. The Zero-Gee TR's are supposed to be off limits at all times." Riku growled to the person on Room Control.

"I apologize, Riku." The Room Control girl said. "I left the room open because that very same unit had requested a lone training session in the room-"

"Did that person have permission for a lone training period without the permission of Cloud?"

"No, but I assumed-"

"Who am I talking to?"

"You're talking to Technical Operations Consultant Sarah Wembley."

'_Wembley!'_ Riku thought. He immediately cut off the communications and switched on to Kairi's frequency. "Kai, it's me. I've just discovered that the Control Room girl is Wembley. She's been opening and closing the hallways and doors to not let us chase the others!"

There was a short pause as Kairi took it in. "Roger that, Riku. I'll move in on Wembley with the four guys I have with me. How you doing with Schmidt?"

"He's locked himself in a Zero-Gee TR, and tight. I've got techies about to work on the door, but we need you to get Wembley so she doesn't hinder our troops anymore."

"Understood! I'll check back when the problem is dealt with! Kairi, out!"

"Roger. Riku, out!" Riku turned off his headset and turned to the team. "Alright. I need techies working on pressurizing the room. The sooner the better, people!"

-b-

The doors to the door control room (drink in the irony) slid open, revealing Wembley tinkering with the door controls. She swung around in the chair, facing the intruders. "Ah, Kairi. I trust all is going well with the apprehension of the traitor?"

Kairi summoned her Keyblade, whilst the others unholstered their heavy rifles. The men were huge, very muscly, and at least 6 and a half feet – dwarfing Kairi. "Sarah Wembley, you are to be taken into custody for treason, and conspiring to kill Cloud Strife." She said, somehow commanding more authority than the gunmen around her.

"Why – this is nonsense! I daresay, how dare you suspect me of such a thing! Treason!" She said indignantly, Folding her arms inside her jacket.

"You've been blocking route access to our soldiers and letting the traitors escape!" Kairi accused. "You're coming with us into questioning!"

"I cannot be questioned! You have no right to take me anywhere!" She said snobbily, turning her chin upwards.

Kairi sighed and switched on her headset. "Cloud, Wembley isn't co-operating. Permission to treat the suspect as hostile and use force?"

"FORCE? I'LL SHOW YOU FORCE!" Wembley shrieked, jumping from her chair and whipping out two pistols from inside her jacket. She immediately aimed at a soldier and, at point-blank range, shot him 5 times in the chest. The bullets pierced his protective gear, shattered his ribcage and punctured his heart and lungs. He was dead before he hit the ground.

The other three soldiers immediately dived for cover as the woman fired madly in all directions, managing to hit one soldier in the leg. The man hissed in pain as the other marine crawled over to him and applied pressure to the wound.

Kairi's combat training with Sora and Riku kicked in, and suddenly with began crawling on her arms and legs to the dead soldier. The redhead fumbled on the man's belt, until she pulled out the .45 caliber pistol holstered there. She lurched upward, knocking Wembley's hand with Heart's Desire - the gun went flying from the traitor's hand. Wembley quickly spun around with the other gun, but Kairi was quicker. She raised the pistol and shot Wembley's other hand, as the woman screamed and her hand began loosing blood. Kairi dived to the side as the Sergeant of her 4 soldiers leapt up behind her, making sure that Kairi was out of the line of fire and then firing a spray of bullets from his rifle.

The shots ran up Wembley's body, making her spasm in mid-air and tumble to the ground in a heap. The Sergeant quickly stepped forward, pulled out his sidearm pistol, and put 5 bullets into the traitorous woman's head. Silence settled over the room, and the only other soldier who was unharmed helped his comrade to the health centre. Kairi turned to leave with them, but the Sergeant yelled out to her. "Miss Kairi! Are you unharmed?"

"Yes I am, Sergeant, because of you! I'm definitely recommending you for a field promotion!" Kairi breathed, fanning herself with her hand. "What's your name, sarge?" She asked him, smiling sweetly. Suddenly, with a shock, she felt the cold metal of a gun barrel point between her ribs.

"It's Seth."

-c-

"All Wyverns moved into protective hangars. No-one is inside the hangars, and no abnormalities are detected on any of the craft." The engineer told Cloud and Heather. The two both nodded to each other.

"Alright. Thank you for doing that. If my guess is right, either Eisenhower, Seth, or Filino were to attack the Wyverns." Cloud explained, nervously shifting around, looking at the other engineers as if glaring at them would reveal their names. "Since they haven't shown yet, I'm guessing they're either retreating with you guys or haven't shown up yet."

"Understood, generals." The engineer said understandingly. "I'll round up the guys and leave the hangar for you guys to face down the traitor when he arrives." Then, noticing how anxious Cloud was, added, "I'll also check the names on my engineering team."

Cloud visibly relaxed, and Heather released a sigh she didn't know she'd been holding. The engineer nodded and left with his men, leaving Cloud and Heather alone in the enormous hangar, ready to fight whoever may come in.

-d-

Riku was nervous. He'd received periodic updates from Cloud and Heather, but Kairi hadn't responded upwards of ten minutes. Around him, Red Team was close to cracking the code to repressurize the Zero-Gravity Training Room. It had been a long and arduous wait, and Riku was dreading the no gravity gunfight that was to come.

"Got it!" A soldier said, and the others rushed over to his console, including Riku. The light above the door flashed red three times, then switched to green. "Room repressurized – gravity restored!" The soldier grinned. Suddenly they heard a scream, muffled from the door they had just unlocked. It was followed by a loud **thud**.

The door slid open to reveal Schmidt, lying there, rolling around in pain and shock. He'd obviously been quite high up when the gravity had turned off. Riku smirked to himself, as did the soldiers. "Disarm him. Ladies and gentlemen, we have an interrogation later on!"

The soldiers whooped and cheered their agreement as they tore off Schmidt's weapons, armour and gear, leaving him in his basic uniform. Santino, the biggest guy in Red Team and a very feared gunman, hoisted the traitor over his shoulder, and the soldiers took the chance to have some fun and slap the bastard around. Riku watched them briefly before taking a call on his headset. "Riku speaking."

"R-Riku! It's Kairi!"

Riku's eyes widened. "Kai! You okay?"

"Riku, I…"

Suddenly she was cut off, and a male voice came on. "Look, boy. This is Seth. Yeah, the guy in charge of this little incursion here. I've got your little princess here and whoo boy, is she a fighter! If you want to rescue her though, you'll have to come here to negotiate the Resistance's surrender! Speak to no-one, and come alone. Fail to comply and I will kill her."

_Click._

For a few seconds, Riku just stood there dumbfounded – and no-one could blame him. The next few minutes passed in a complete blur – Riku made an excuse to Red Team, and kept on walking toward room control. The doors slid apart.

"Riku. I am pleased by your promptness in getting here. I'm also pleased that you have come alone." Seth said, standing up from the control chair to face Riku. Riku said nothing, only looked onto the ground at where Kairi was. She was unconscious, and her ankles and wrists were bound in tape. Next to her was a huge grey box, which Riku had never seen before.

"I'll kill you, here and now!" Riku snarled, summoning Way To Dawn.

"NOT recommended, let me tell you!" Seth said. "That gray box there is a bomb with enough power to send this entire room up. Best of all, its detonator is my pulse. The second my heart rate goes flat, this bomb goes off." He grinned, showing his wrist, where a tiny black machine resided, blinking red every few seconds to show it was transmitting to the huge explosive on the floor. Seth also said. "And, do not worry. I have not done anything to Kairi here. She is an honourable girl, and we have no intention of harming her unless it is completely unavoidable. She is merely tranquilized so that you will follow our demands. We are not monsters, after all!"

"If you aren't monsters, what are you?" Riku demanded. "What do you want? Who are you? Are you working for Brent?"

"Brent? Please. That man has no respect for humanity. No, we are The Cavaliers - an entirely separate group from any other allegiance – but, our motives and leadership must be kept secret. For now, also, we must keep our operations secret." Seth paused for breath. "All we can tell you, for now, is that we need to kill Cloud Strife."

Riku, once again, said nothing. Seth pressed a button on the door control panel, and suddenly the entire room began moving. Riku knew was the Room Control room was an elevator room, and he also knew where they were headed.

The hangar.

Riku knew, in that second, that he had to kill Seth. Riku lunged forward, but quickly blocked upward with a straight blade. The swordfight began as the elevator descended through the tunnel – moving the bomb closer and closer to Cloud Strife.

-e-

Eisenhower stood there, spent, utterly defeated. He had walked into the hangar expecting an easy operation and easy-to-fool people. Instead he had been locked in a battle to the death with Cloud and some ridiculously overpowered girl! Cloud and Heather ran behind the Cavalier operative – Cloud separating a sword from the First Tsurugi and tossing it to Heather. The two slammed down their swords but Eisenhower rolled out of the way. Suddenly everyone heard a creaking noise, and the ceiling opened to reveal an elevator shaft! All three watched as a platform lowered itself down the shaft… And they saw Riku fighting Seth, with Kairi lying unconscious beside them. Suddenly Riku leapt from the platform and landed next to Heather and Cloud.

Heather tossed the blade back to Cloud, who merged it back into First Tsurugi. Riku quickly explained to Cloud the situation, and Cloud nodded. His mind began swimming with ideas, and he found one in the move Sora had taught him. A Trinity Attack.

Suddenly he felt a rush of vertigo, and a sort of symbiotic link to Heather and Riku. Riku understood what had to be done. He quickly fired a series of purple flames from Way To Dawn, the blazes trapping Seth between them. Cloud separated First Tsurugi into all 6 of it's individual blades, and started throwing them into the ground around the bomb. Heather jumped up on Riku's shoulder into the air, firing her Submachine guns at Cloud's swords to that the bullets rebound, with even greater force, into the bomb. Suddenly Riku changed the Dark Firaga's direction so that the flames surrounded the bomb. The bullets tore through the bomb, and it detonated – only for the dark flames to expand and swallow the explosion! The ground rumbled around them for a few seconds, tossing the 6 swords into the air. Cloud caught the first, and jumped up to each sword, combining them as he went. On the ground, the purple dome containing the explosion fizzled out, leaving no trace of the explosion behind. When Cloud landed, First Tsurugi was back in his hand. Heather landed next him and, with no hesitation, the three turned their weapons toward Seth.

Seth smirked. "Blow the hatch." He said into a radio, and behind him, the hangar doors exploded! The three covered their eyes and shielded themselves from the flames and shrapnel, looking up to see Seth running straight toward the explosion. The fire separated, revealing a jet, crescent-moon in shape, waiting. Seth jumped out of the destroyed doors and onto the aircraft, and the three could only watch as jet flew away, Seth on it's back.

"DON'T FUCKING MOVE!" A voice screamed, and the three jolted around to see Eisenhower holding a now-conscious and very afraid Kairi in his arms, his shaking hand holding his gun to her head. The three readied themselves, but could do nothing. "I swear!" Eisenhower spat, "You move one muscle and I swear to God you'll –"

The man's face exploded in a mist of red, and blood splattered about 2 metres around the man. He dropped Kairi, who immediately ran to Cloud. Eisenhower dropped, the mangled lot of flesh, blood and bone that was his head pooling onto the ground. They looked at the figure who had shot – A girl stood there, wearing the same black skin-tight movement suit that the other Cavalier operatives had been wearing.

"Filino!" Cloud growled, readying his enormous broadsword.

"Relax, Cloud Strife. I'm not with them. I'm the one who sent the text message." She spoke, her voice smooth and light, radiating intelligence and calmness.

"Then who are you?" Riku demanded, still not lowering Way To Dawn.

"My name is Kaiyt, stealth operations, revolver, and katana expert. I'm a mercenary for hire who took a direct interest in the operations of the Cavalier organisation. When I learned they were attacking the resistance, I had to warn you." She said, holstering her gun.

"What do you want now? Money?" Cloud asked, lowering First Tsurugi a small bit.

"Not at all. All I want is freedom. You see, ever since the Brent government came in, there's been a huge crackdown on mercenaries. The time has come for all mercenaries to join a side. And I choose yours. To prove my allegiance, I just killed the man attempting to kill Kairi."

"Alright then." Cloud said. "Kaiyt, we trust you. Welcome to the resistance."

"Hey Cloud, I just got a message saying that Schmidt is up. We're gonna interrogate him now." Riku said, and Cloud nodded. A door to the hangar slid open, and in walked two men dragging along Schmidt on the ground. The four walked over to him, and they held their weapons to his face.

"Tell us! Who are the Cavaliers and what are their motives?!" Riku demanded, but Schmidt just smirked. He suddenly began spasming, jerking up and down, his body twisting in immense pain – then he went limp. Froth began leaking from his mouth, and Kairi looked at its sickly green colour.

"Elistronict Formulae. A deadly poison that can be taken and then triggered when a person sees fit. A suicide insurance guarantee." She looked up. "These aren't bandits – these are a very well organized and very professional underground team."

For a whole minute the group stood there, taking in the shock of what had happened. Suddenly, the silence was broken by Cloud's radio. It was the control room. "Cloud! We've just found a message on the public channels addressed to us! The origin is Kevin Brent!"

The group quickly snapped to attention. "We're on our way."

-f-

"We picked up this transmission via the public FM signals. It has audio and visual outputs, and it's just playing the same thing." The tech man pressed play, and an image appeared on the screen.

An old fashioned wooden chair sat in an empty room, with a cardboard place card on the chair. Frank Sinatra's 'Come Fly With Me' was playing in the background. The cardboard read simply: "RESISTANCE MEMBERS PING THIS MESSAGE".

"Should we ping it?" The tech man asked.

"I'm not sure." Cloud said. "It may be a Brent trap."

"Cloud, we could always cloak our global IP. He won't be able to track us from the message."

Cloud considered it for a second, then looked up. "Okay. Clear the room of ALL technologies and location sensors! I want this room empty in five minutes, and I want blurs on the faces of everyone in the room! We're pinging the message in six minutes!"

A frenzy of activity began, with technicians and machine moving all the unnecessary and secret equipment into the rooms outside. They made sure they had a secure uplink to the camera, and pinged the message. Cloud, Riku, Kairi, Heather and Kaiyt waited as the camera slid into focus, revealing Kevin Brent and Geno.

"Resistance forces." Brent said. "I extend my greetings and salu-"

"Let us see Sora!" Kairi shouted out, and the group roared their approval.

"At least wait until I've made my offer!" Brent said impatiently. "You young people need to learn to respect your elders and some patience." He lectured mockingly. "Now, my offer. Cloud, you and I are both men of the same caliber. There are many skilled people amongst the resistance – people that would benefit the whole world if they were to join my people!" He said. "And there's my offer – join me, and I will forgive all of your past crimes and offences, and you'll all be rich and influential in the world!"

"Drumroll please!" Brent said happily, grinning evilly for the camera. "Introducing, in all his splendour and glory, Sora Bennington Osment!"

Sora walked through the door with a guard behind him, shuffling into the room like a chained prisoner. He looked so incredibly unhealthy, it brought a gasp to the lips just to behold him. He was disgustingly thin. His skin had cuts all over it, and was bruised and dirtied. His usually radiant blue eyes were dark and sullen, with rings of black underneath them. The brunette's lip was swollen, but he kept his mouth closed. Finally, his spiky brown hair all hung about his face, as though weighed down.

"I have to admit, Kairi, you've got a strong boyfriend. He's remained vigilant even after the guards broke all the toes on his right foot... and cut the gums in his mouth with a razor blade. Smile, Sora!" Brent said as Sora whimpered and opened his mouth, wincing in intense pain as a single line of bloodied saliva trickled onto the floor.

"So Sora, pray tell, did you scream when the guards did those things?" Brent asked, taking Sora's face in his hands. Sora shook his head softly.

The resistance watched on in horror as Brent squeezed Sora's face aggressively. "Hmm? You didn't scream? Not once? THEN SCREAM FOR ME!" He screamed, and forced his knee upward into Sora's gut. "So, what do you say Cloud, will you and the resistance surrender for little Sora?" Brent asked as Geno caught Sora in mid-fall and held him in place.

"We won't surrender. We'll rescue Sora, and kill you." Cloud snarled back, the vehemence leaping from his voice.

Brent shook his head. "'Tis a shame, Cloud. I had high hopes." He took a metal bar. "You forced me to do this." He turned to Sora and, using his full strength, slammed the bar into Sora's legs. There was a sickening crunch and Sora's gut-wrenching scream.

The leg hung on an awkward, and everyone immediately knew it was horrifically broken. Even Brent seemed momentarily surprised with his effort. "There you go. You've heard him scream. You've seen the damage we can do to him. We'll just keep him in intense agony, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Kairi screamed. It was a scream of fury, pain, and sadness all at once. She leapt, with incredible ferocity, at the screen. She began beating it with her fists, pounding on the screen as if it would hurt Brent. "YOU MONSTER!" She shrieked. "YOU MONSTER!!"

Brent seemed amused by the effort. He smirked at the girl, then looked back at Cloud, Kaiyt, Riku and Heather. "Well Cloud, it seems you've decided to remain adamant. Oh well." Brent closed his eyes, turned around, and grabbed Sora. He went back up to the camera, and the group could see that Sora was limp, unconscious. "Just remember: I have his life in my hands, and you lot are helpless as long as I do. Isn't that right, Sora? Yes it is. Wave goodbye, Sora!" He grabbed the teenager's limp wrist and shook it, smirking at the resistance as he did so. The camera shut off; leaving the room in a state of anger, despair, and utter shock.

"You monster!" Kairi sobbed, now hunched over, a sobbing heap, on the floor. "You monster…"


	7. Cavaliers

The moon was close tonight, and stained orange, as though diluted by the bloodshed of this hectic night spilling into its very fabric. The ground was awash in blood, littered with bodies, and marked by a thousand eerily glowing swords and shields, and remnants of armour. A battle had been fought, and but one man from both factions stood. One stood, a figure clad in white clothes, with his whole back and sides covered by his great black cloak.

The cloaked man was thrown from his standing position onto the stump of a half-chopped tree, felled in the battle. Its remains lay nearby, smouldering. The man who had been thrown saw his life flash before him. Outcast because he could wield magic. Shunned because his intellect was considered inhuman. His love. Her name was the only things upon his chapped and cracked lips as he realized his grand dream was shattered.

"Felicia…" He half gasped and half whispered, realizing that his war was over, his campaign shattered – not because he was an inferior leader, but because his enemies had piled their corpses in mountains to reach him at the top. "…Is it… Over?"

"Yes, it is over, Brent." Said the other man, his hands still shaking. The other man was cold, and afraid. The clouds above stunted the moonlight, concealing his torso and head in shadow. He shook, and Brent could see the man's sword shaking as he held it to Brent's face. "Your armies are defeated… Your cause stopped… And look at you!" The man raised his sword and plunged it right into Brent's stomach.

Brent's eyes widened, but he felt no immediate pain. He knew his body was going into shock – but then, it split through him, filling every part of him with the most intense agony imaginable. He tried to scream, but instead found his mouth blocked by a torrent of blood, which uncontrollably burst over his torso. It stained his clothes and mingled with the blood on the ground below. "LOOK AT YOU!" The other man shouted. "For all your insipid magic, you're pathetic! Not worthy of the title 'King' so much as COWARD!"

Brent's eye squeezed out a single tear as the man continued. "This is no dream, nor a nightmare you'll awake from! Everything you hold dear has been stripped from you! Even the woman you love has been torn from your life. She will **never **be yours."

And with one final flash of Felicia's face, the image faded.

Kevin Brent awoke, to find that he was sitting down and at his desk. Countless documents and papers lay beneath him, one of them stained with blood. He lifted a hand to his forehead, and much to his dismay found that he was bleeding. He looked disdainfully at the corner of the book he had fallen asleep on – it was responsible not only for the steady drop of blood, but also for his memories, which rarely ever came as dreams.

"It was just a bump to the head, that was all." He muttered to himself, glaring at himself in the distorted reflection of his glass of water – and for a split second, he saw his wounded self on that night. "It's all over now."

-a-

Three of Hearts

Chapter 7 – Cavaliers

"Southeast entrance. Two teams, led by Sergeants Attenby and Roberts will penetrate and secure the lower grounds, providing a safe entry point for teams 21 and 22, going down to the sub-levels to attack a medical centre and secure everyone inside."

Kairi watched on thoughtfully, her red hair falling slightly over her face, as hundreds of rifles traveled along a conveyor belt – all of them being equipped with a launcher for syringes filled with the Number 7 cure. The Resistance couldn't take the risk of fighting soldiers powered with the Nobody Gene.

"The upper floors. Our Wyvern fighters will provide cover for the helicopters, whose troops will abseil down to sections U and V of the complex, and clear out any possible reinforcements to the lower levels."

Kaiyt held Riku in various holds with a blunt knife, and Riku, in demonstration, showed the watching soldiers how to escape the various holds and knife fights. The Resistance couldn't take the risk of being ambushed at close-quarters.

"And finally, it's you guys that go in, all guns blazing, and clear the first route for our troops. Through the front entrance." Cloud finished his plans, from the head of a long, rectangular table. There were people moving in and out every so often, but apart from that, the room's only other occupants were a ragtag group of some twenty men, all wearing worn but reliable clothing - leather jackets seeming to be all the rage.

"So, let me guess zis streaght. Said one man in a heavy accent, who sported some fancy-looking-gear but also sported an eyepatch for his efforts. "You exzpect us to jus' run in and gun down everyone we see in a soldier outfit?

"Quite correct." Cloud said, cleaning up the blueprints to Brent's building. "You may think that you're being used as cannon fodder, but we will have the element of surprise. They won't be expecting us."

Another mercenary spat on the ground and stepped forward. "Fine. We'll do it for 200, 000 Munny. Sound good, boys?" There was general murmur of agreement amongst the men. "Set up a contract, get our money when it's expected, and you have a contract with the War Eaters company!" The men all began picking up their respective objects, when the foreign man spoke.

"So, I have 'eard zat you have an artificial human in your ranks."

"No mistake we do." Said Heather's voice from the doorway. The men all stepped back a bit, as Heather's reputation in combat had reached the mercenaries' ears from the people of the resistance. She chuckled. "So this group is leading the assault? If I were Brent, I'd be more concerned about the sky falling." She said, and the soldiers stared in a mix of faces both grinning and some affronted. At this moment, a couple of the mercenaries chuckled, and Heather grinned.

Cloud smirked briefly, but then ordered everybody out. After a short gathering of things, also involving a scuffle between two mercenaries over the wrong bag, only he and Heather remained in the room. "Phew, they could definitely be a rowdy lot. I'll be sure to keep them separated from most of the other troops, as otherwise, we would not avoid a constant string of brawls." He said, standing from his seat and walking over to a nearby table.

"Mercenaries are just men, more often than not idiots, who like to shoot hot metal, foul words, throw explosives and beat enemies to a pulp so that they can earn a few dimes, have a drink, and womanise. Are you sure we can trust them? I'd be less worried about Brent if we **didn't** have to deal with that lot." Heather said, pulling out her submachine guns and placing them on the table.

Cloud searched over a number of objects, speaking as he did so. "Trust me, Kaiyt tells me that she knows from experience that those men are true professionals – not only in their given art but also in their agreements." He said. "She told me that she's worked with a couple of the guys before, in a mission on Port Royal."

"That, and considering we need all the man and firepower we can get to defeat Brent, I decided to enlist their help." Cloud continued as he lifted a box from the table, and walked back over to the rectangular dining table. He put it down on the table, the loud 'klonk!' revealing it was quite heavy.

"Now, Heather. Whilst your skills with those submachine guns are impressive, I think you would benefit from the use of a consistent and tailored weapon made especially for you – rather than burn through countless guns from the armoury." He pushed the box forward to Heather. "I hope it is to your liking."

Heather began grinning like a child on Christmas as she walked over to the box. "I read a book recently that said that the beast hunters of old - before the Heartless arrived - used to have special weapons to tell the beast-killers from the rest. Do I have such an honour now?" She informed them gleefully, as she unclipped a lock, and lifted the lid, gazing at the weapon inside. "Nice." She hissed under her breath.

Inside rested a pair of grey and black guns, both about sixty centimetres in length, and both gleaming. They had no sights, clearly for close to mid range combat, and both the trigger guards and the stock were spiked, making for vicious melee attacks. Finally, the ammo didn't slide into the handle like most guns, but rather a large wheel loaded to the brim with ammunition clipped in a few centimetres before the barrel. Looking past the new additions, they looked rather like old Tommy guns reminiscent of the 1930's and 40's.

Heather lifted one. "The silver parts are reinforced titanium, and the black parts, I don't recognise. However, I notice that these spikes have some sort of spell on them."

Cloud pulled out plans of the gun. "Yes, a blessing from the hand of King Mickey himself. Those spikes will burn through Heartless and Nobodies, if we see them, like a weak Keyblade. And that black metal is a lightweight version of the same metal used to make the common black box found on airliners."

"These babies could take a hell of a beating. What about the rounds, do they do the gun justice?"

"Those rounds are .454 rounds, far more powerful than any SMG we or Brent could muster. Spiked tips, to shred through infantry. Explosive shells, of course, for that extra nasty **kick** to your opponent." Cloud declared proudly, smiling as he saw Heather hold both guns, her hands gripping their handles perfectly. "Between the intensely powerful bullets and the sheer weight of the guns, they're more weapon than any naturally-born human could hope to handle. Your superior body does have its advantages, after all."

"I don't care if I wasn't born naturally like you. In the end, my organs are just as good as yours. My personality is just as real." Heather announced with pride, as she also lifted a pair of Kevlar holsters from the box, for the guns. "And besides, it's worth having superior muscles just to wield things like this! Do they have names?"

Cloud grinned. "Romeo and Juliet."

"They are absolutely perfect, Cloud!" She said, smiling serenely at Cloud in thanks. Then, as she placed the guns on the holsters and fitted the ammo into a belt pouch, her eyes caught something. "Oh, that's right! I became so engrossed in firearms that I forgot why I came in the first place." She pulled out a letter. "It's most unusual, it was addressed to you, and it was found today resting on the top entrance."

The Resistance base was all underground, in the rocky areas around the city. Everyone left by foot out of a small elevator, save for two entrances that were nearly impossible to find. On the ground, a large entrance, about 25 metres long and 10 metres wide, opened up to reveal a chamber leading to the elevator which would take you into the base. The other were the hangar doors, built into the cliff face. After the Cavaliers had blown them open in their attack, technicians had worked overtime to make a hologram program that would replicate the appearance and texture of Hollow Bastion's blue stone ground to cover the gaping hole in the top-secret base.

"The top entrance?" Cloud asked, taking the letter from Heather. "Either the enemy has really gone for that extra credit, or-" Cloud's eyes widened as he turned the letter over. "From Sir Wallace Holmwood, leader of The Cavaliers – M.K.D.C. Black Operations Division!"

-b-

"The Cavaliers?" Riku asked, standing in front of his chair with hands on the table. "Those guys who masqueraded as us and attacked our base? Don't even go! It's a trap."

Kairi and Kaiyt both sat down, whilst Riku continued. "Remember, that Seth guy got away, and he was able to match me blow for blow with a combat knife. He's no small threat, and there's no doubt he'll be there."

"Not to mention, he's requested we go unarmed." Kairi said. She had extremely quiet lately. She had blamed the horrible condition Sora was in on herself, and Riku could hear her every night in the room next to his, crying inconsolably.

"What an insult." Heather remarked simply. "Were half my enemies conveniently gathered in front of me, I would show them some hospitality from the old Shakespearian lovers."

"Hear, hear." Riku responded. He glanced across the table, to see Heather thinking carefully about the situation, and how it could allow her to test her new guns, Kairi looking down at her feet, and Kaiyt staring at him with a red tinge on her cheeks – she quickly snapped away. Riku was taken aback briefly, but hid it with another question. "What's the time and venue?"

Cloud held his hands together in front of his face and narrowed his eyes, showing obvious contempt for the Cavaliers. "We can't try anything. The Hollow Bastion Centre of the Arts that was opened not two weeks ago by Brent himself." He took his hands away and gestured to Kaiyt. "You worked with them for a while. Can you tell if this is a trap?"

Kaiyt simply tugged on the edges of her black leather gloves, nervously tightening them. "To be honest, I don't really know. I had an impressive combat record before joining them, so they immediately selected me for the infiltration here. I didn't get much time with the brass."

"However, I don't think even this group would be erratic, or stupid, enough to launch an attack in broad daylight, in public and behind enemy lines." Riku said. "Much more likely is, they need something from you."

This piqued Cloud's interest. "Need something?"

"Yeah." Riku said looking around. "Military support, financial needs… We probably have something they don't, or vice versa. Or maybe they just want to apologise for the attack and meet us in person. Given the venue and nature of the meeting, I believe it's safe to RSVP."

Cloud thought in absolute silence for a full minute, crunching the facts through his head – until at last, even the silent, flame-haired Kairi could bear the tension no longer.

"We're going. Kaiyt, Heather, you will accompany me." Cloud announced with pride. "We are to be unarmed and ready for no combat."

"We'll come with." Riku stated, leaving his seat. "Kairi and I will be ready for any trouble." He glanced quickly toward his childhood friend, who snapped her head upwards as though coming back to reality, and she nodded quickly.

"No, Riku." Cloud replied solemnly, also leaving his seat and placing a hand on Riku's shoulder. "If you went, with your weapons ready at any second, or magic beyond anyone else here, **they** would suspect a trap from **us**." Then, noticing Riku suddenly looking at the ground, feeling helpless and angry, Cloud added:

"Besides, I have a special mission for both of you. We've set up a plan for the attack on Brent's tower that divides all our troops into even and proportionate areas of assault. However, we still have 5 soldiers unaccounted for who can move freely. They are myself, you two, Heather and Kaiyt." Noticing Riku perk up, he continued. "I need you two to make assault plans for us five."

Riku thought briefly. "We know Brent has some very experienced troops on his team. The stealth incredible, Teague. The enforcer, Geno. I think we'll need us five to take those guys out, as well as specialist tasks such as destroying the Nobody Gene."

"That's the way!" Cloud slapped Riku's back with enthusiasm. "You two take care of those exact plans, and we'll be back soon." He turned to Kaiyt. "Have the men prepare a car, but tell them also to run checks. If this is an ambush, I want reinforcements standing by."

"Sir! Something went wrong in the power grid for the area!" a tech man burst into the room, shouting. "The power authorities weren't involved, nor was any building in the city. Rather, the outage was caused by a **single** device!"

"What!?" Cloud demanded. "Have they explained themselves?!"

"No, Sir!" the man shouted in a state of panic. "Emergency power is fully charged, but they've blocked our access to it. All of our weapons, medical, and base environment facilities are completely shut down. The only thing online is the main screen in the war room, and it shows one thing: a knight, riding on horseback!"

"A Cavalier." Cloud hissed to himself. "Very well. Kaiyt, we'll go without reinforcements." He said, turning to walk out of the room. "Bastards. Who do they think they are?"

-b-

Cloud and Kaiyt stood in a hallway inside the newly-built Hollow Bastion Centre of the Arts, staring at the painting 'The Opening of Kingdom Hearts'. It was a magnificent, rolling canvas, beautifully painted in the utmost detail. It showed Sora, pointing his Keyblade at Xehanort's Heartless and firing a line of energy that was blasting the man into Kingdom Hearts' light – proving once and for all that artists do exaggerate.

"My patience is growing thin… When are they due to arrive, Kaiyt?" Cloud asked, longing for the security of the First Tsurugi which usually rested on his back. He would even feel better if the War Eaters were slinking around out of sight. Kaiyt was also unarmed, but didn't seem as anxious as Cloud.

"They are actually a few minutes late. They could arrive at anytime now." She said, her hair tossing around jubilantly as she looked around eagerly for any sign of the shadowy group.

"I say, since some of the many works damaged during the Heartless attack have been restored, and just as many made since then, it is about time this place had a centre like this." Both Cloud and Kaiyt turned to see two figures approaching, discussing the sights.

"And just look! Pictures and works of art from all facets of life and all parts of Hollow Bastion history. Truly you would expect only the best from Radiant Garden, once the envy of the Worlds!" There was one male and one female, the female nodding eagerly with a somewhat vacant expression on her face while the man chirped away happily.

Suddenly the two stopped, looking at Cloud glowering at the painting in front of him, and Kaiyt looking nervous. "Sir, we are about six minutes late." Said the girl, to the man, in a soft voice.

"Oh dear me, this is a tragedy. Art, I'm afraid, is one of my main passions, and I'm sorry I kept you waiting - but there is so much to be seen!" The man said as Cloud now turned to face them, still glowering unrelentlessly. The man continued, undaunted. "I see that our lack of punctuality is unwelcome. I am Sir Wallace Holmwood, leader of the Cavaliers, and it is an honour to at last meet you."

Holmwood looked strange, to say the least – He had black, slicked back hair, with grey roots to them – He was strangely thin for a man of his late forties, and wore grey, formal trousers with a black line down the sides. He wore a navy blue button-up shirt, covered by a buttoned-up black vest, bearing the group's insignia on it.

Cloud waited for the girl to introduce herself, but she did not speak. She simply wore white robes, and fine blonde her trailed down her shoulders to halfway down her back. She had wide, green eyes. When she looked nervous and retracted behind Holmwood, Cloud spoke. "Well, Sir Holmwood, we may as well be down to business. What are the Cavaliers?" He demanded, still looking stern.

"Now now, there is no need to take that tone. The Cavaliers are a secret, black operations group – established about a century ago, when the worlds were still developing and the people were being murdered by monsters of a horrible calibre." He paced around whilst saying this - raising his hands, clad in navy blue gloves, in simple gestures. "You see, The Cavaliers' purpose was, and still is, simple: To eliminate any and all threats, human or beast, to humankind, as well as all threats against the throne."

Cloud's eyes widened. "The throne?! You mean… You're a royal order?!"

Holmwood smirked. "Of course! When first founded, we were the Royal Company of Paladinic Knights, but now we are simply the Cavaliers. However, for a century we have been protecting the Worlds and their people in the name of the M.K.D.C. – the Monarchy of the King and Disney Castle!"

Cloud retreated a step. This was dangerous ground – even now that the major worlds like Traverse Town, Twilight Town and Radiant Garden were independent from the throne, the monarchy still commanded great wealth and power amongst the people. "If you've so much power, why have you come to us?" He asked nervously, having thought of nothing else to say.

"Us? Come to…" Holmwood pondered briefly, before his eyes widened and he burst into a rolling laughter. "You thought we needed you?" He asked, still cackling and his body shuddering as he did so. Cloud looked on, affronted. Suddenly he calmed himself, squeezing out the last chuckles and dusting off his vest.

He cleared his voice and continued. "No, we need nothing from you. We simply came to apologise for the attack. All I can say is… At the time of the attack, we thought that Brent would crush a resistance like yours easily. We feared that he would, after defeating you, close off Hollow Bastion from the rest of the worlds. We thought that without the Resistance, Brent would keep things the same. The easiest way to do that is present Cloud Strife's head on a platter."

The girl with blonde hair finally piped up. "But, now, after agent Seth reported his mission a failure – having his whole team die save for agent Filini, who went missing – we changed our opinion on the matter. You now have the Cavaliers' full support." Kaiyt couldn't resist grinning this whole time – after all, she had been agent Filini.

"Well, that just raises even more questions!" Cloud demanded, almost shouting – driving a few nervous civilians away from the nearby displays. "Where were you when Brent took power? Or further back even, where were you when Sora defeated the Heartless a year and a half ago, and Xemnas plus the Nobodies just earlier this year? Why would you-"

"That's enough, now SHUT IT!" Holmwood suddenly snapped, clenching his gloved fist. "It is a rite of passage for the Keybearers to do their quests without our interference. As for Brent, we're not to interfere in the affairs of the worlds unless they directly threaten humanity!" Holmwood stepped forward defiantly, leaning forward and raising his upper lip. "So why don't you amateurish brats scurry back to your playground!?"

Suddenly, a loud laugh echoed through the halls. "Amateurish brats. I like that! Glad to see there are still some feisty old men out there willing to put their word out. Unfortunate you had to speak like that towards Cloud."

Heather stepped out of the shadows, walking out from behind the sculpture of a Defender Heartless. "You demand a meeting with us, make a half-assed apology, then have the **nerve** to insult Cloud? Poor, senile little fool. Perhaps a bullet will help you think about what you've done." Holmwood stepped back a touch as he got a good look at her.

She wore somewhat bulky, brown boots that were covered over by stockings that went up past her knee-high black skirt. Her denim jacket went on top of a plain brown shirt that also bore a single gold heart. It stopped just above her white belt, loaded to the brim with ammo and equipment. She also sported a pair of plum-red sunglasses and a Celtic Cross necklace.

Holmwood regained his composure. "Ah, look who it is. The little Resistance's artificially created freak. Ah. An artificially created freak, a double agent mercenary, and a swordsman troubled by his past. What a crew." He paced around once in a circle, wagging his finger. "Since the sides are uneven now, I suppose it's time to put the chips on the table, up the ante and tip the favour." He turned to glare at them, sneering.

"Seth Cameron, if you will." The blonde girl said, and a clank of armour was heard in the distance.

Then it grew louder with every second.

Glints of gold began appearing where the light stretched its rays.

And then he came into view.

Stretching well above 6 feet tall, and clad entirely in black and gold armour, came Seth Cameron. His armour was highly elaborate, and impossible to describe – It was regal, holy and intimidating all at once. The gold armour covered the top of black plates, which were scratched and worn yet still held as if it were the day they were made. A huge, kite-shaped silver shield, with two points at the tip, covered almost his whole left arm.

He wore no helmet, instead revealing his short, black, up-and-out-facing hair. His face was weathered, and a grand scar started at his lower lip and continued its way all down his neck and into his armour. Shaven stubble peppered every part of his face below his mouth, which was stretched into a cruel, bloodthirsty smile – complimented by his hard, brown eyes and blue-tinted glasses, which slipped down onto his high-ridged nose. He had a wide face ending in a split chin, and every part of his face seemed to be baptized in combat.

"How about a duel to the death, oh **Frankenstein's Monster**?" He snarled at Heather, drawing from the sheath on his hip a huge, glittering diamond sword. It was just over two metres long and seven centimeters wide - and at its tip was a deadly and yet beautiful golden capstone, glowing white-hot with a thousand blessings. Now that he was bearing these brilliant weapons, it was hard to believe it was the same man who had infiltrated the Resistance base.

"Sounds very fine to me, oh **King Kong**!" Heather retorted just as aggressively, whipping out both Romeo and Juliet from her jacket with two swift blurs of her arms. Both fully loaded, she swung them forward to face Seth, the barrel glaring death right at their opponent's face. "So the Cavaliers' top man is eager for a battle! Let's see how that armour **shreds**!"

"Enough!" Yelled two voices at the same time – and both Cloud and Holmwood suddenly stood in front of their respective warriors, holding up their arms and blocking their path. The barrels of Heather's Tommy guns lowered, as did the tip of Seth's sword. Both of the warriors looked somewhat disappointed at the lack of the fight.

Heather instantly put her guns back inside her jacket. "My apologies, Cloud. I'll go back and prepare the car – this museum is too big for my liking." She announced, quickly turning on her heel and walking calmly towards the exit.

Seth also sheathed his sword, and rested his shield on his back. He bent down to Holmwood. "If you don't mind, Sir, I'll prep the Gummi Ship. After all, Diamante and Adamante weren't even properly blessed for a fight today." He smiled serenely. "However, this is a beautiful exhibition. Perhaps one day, when this is all dealt with, I'll organize a trip with some of the castle Nobles."

Holmwood quickly offered a smile. "Of course! I'm sure they would like that!" He laughed.

Cloud and Kaiyt watched Seth retreat, the sound of his clanking armour still radiating power. Cloud turned back to Holmwood, seeing the man obviously disappointed and a little annoyed at this whole affair. Cloud allowed himself a grin at his rival's irritation. "Well, it seems that your one-man castle didn't have the heart to push you aside and wipe us all out, as you had hoped." Seeing Holmwood snap his head upwards at this, Cloud taunted, "Well? Are you imbeciles finally done?"

"O-oh yes! Of course!" Holmwood declared awkwardly, trying to adjusting himself back into his usual dignified state. "Now that the unpleasantries are completed, we would like to show you something as a token of our apologies."

Cloud simply nodded, and the four people stepping toward one of the museum's many cafés.

-c-

A report was slammed onto the table, bearing on it a symbol of King Mickey's symbol – crossed over by two swords. Below it read the words 'Royal Order of Paladinic Knights'. Cloud placed his coffee back down on the table whilst the blonde girl nonchalantly chewed on a sweet biscuit, courtesy of Holmwood. Kaiyt and Holmwood both helped themselves to a small cake Cloud had bought with spare change. "What is this?" Cloud asked Holmwood, who was eating with the most impeccable manners.

Holmwood swallowed and dabbed at his mouth with a serviette. "That is a report on Kevin Brent's early life, before he made his attempt." Cloud picked up the report and began scanning through the booklet. "It covers his whole life until he disappeared, half a year before the war began."

"Vahr?" Kaiyt asked, now interested but still with a mouth full of cake.

"The War of Rights." Cloud said. "It sparked up in Traverse Town about four and a half years ago – two years before Sora arrived." He glowered at the subject, obviously still in reminiscence.

"Precisely." Holmwood said. "You see – Kaiyt, is it? – This was seven years after the destruction of Hollow Bastion by the Heartless. An overwhelming majority of Traverse Town's population was comprised of civilians from the late world. And those civilians didn't want to see the return of the same power that destroyed their world. So, there was a complete ban on **all** magic."

"All magic?" Kaiyt asked in amazement. "How did that work out?"

"The decision was met with nigh-on complete majority support. 32% voted against it – they were mainly the scholars and magicians of the Town, men like Merlin and Leon." Cloud said, after taking another swig from the dregs of his coffee. "But, you see, there was a young man – Back then, he was only 14. His name was Kevin Brent, and he was a scholar of magic – no, he was better than a scholar."

"Indeed he was." Holmwood said. "He had immaculate control over electricity in all its forms. He could channel the lightning, he could shut down any electronic equipment he could want. He could even power things. Once, when we needed to power up a laptop, he pressed his little finger to it and, 'zap' – it was wholly charged within a second or two."

"Yes, not to mention he had excellent public speaking skills, an undeniable charisma, and a genius at chemistry. He was undeniably good." Cloud said, trying to piece it all together. "You see, four and a half years ago, he lead this group of scholars and Warlocks – this 32%, and marched to war against the management of Traverse Town. He was an excellent tactician and a formidable soldier – however, in the end, we stopped him on the outskirts of Pilne Forest."

Holmwood chimed in for the final piece of the story. "Yes. He armies, as well as the defending armies, were completely destroyed that day. Brent himself was bested in combat by a young man, who impaled him and left him to die." Holmwood finally leaned in on the table, placing his elbows upon it and leaning into his hands. "Whoever did it was never found, and we never discovered his identity. In the morning, when Cavalier agents sealed off and searched the area, Brent's body was gone. I have no idea how he healed himself, let alone escaped."

Cloud scanned through the reports again. Pictures, results of schooling, physical body status… It would've all been impossible information to get, even for the Cavaliers. Then, Cloud's eyes widened. "Wait, **we** needed to power up a laptop?"

"Oh dear, it appears my tongue slipped." Holmwood said, not losing any of his usual self even though the mistake had been unexpected.

"So, Kevin Brent was one of your insipid agents, until the War of Rights!" Cloud virtually shouted, bursting out of his chair and slamming his hands on the table. "I should've guessed it was one of you lot. Madness breeds madness."

Now Holmwood stood up. "Now you listen to me! You, a resistance group unable to handle your little dictator problem, feel you have to right to stand up and declare that we are the untrustworthy ones? Your resistance is but a stain when compared to our polished sheen! You are but krill to a coelacanth! Sparrow to a hawk!" His voice blared out, with a fierce mix of rage and pride in his experience.

Cloud stayed silent, instead biting his lip and staring, in utmost anger, at Holmwood. Both Kaiyt and the blonde girl had stood, both now concerned that a fistfight was about to start – and with Heather and Seth only a minute's call away, that was dangerous. "I'll tell you what." Holmwood growled. "I will call my men off your little invasion case. All of our agents will pull out of Brent's building, immediately."

He put on a most sinister grin, his slanted eyes narrowing to a near-squint, and his voice was dripping poison. "But I cannot guarantee that Agent Seth will be quite so noble."

Cloud stared for another second or two, sat back down, and swigged down the last drops of his coffee – slamming a couple of Munny on the table and getting up. Kaiyt also swallowed the last of her cake and followed, eager to get out of this situation. "No matter what," Cloud said, "we won't give in. This is our chance to take back our world. I will not lose it again."

Without another word, Cloud and Kaiyt departed, leaving behind a snarling Holmwood and the serene girl next to him. "You know, I was ready to take them anytime." Kaiyt said, pulling out of nowhere her blood-red and jet-black revolver, the Wampyr. She grinned at the Resistance leader, and Cloud looked back, smiling in true laughter for the first time in a while.

As they walked back into the carpark, and found Heather waiting by the car, Cloud decided it. "Heather, have we reestablished power back at base?" He asked as they approached.

"Yes. I've confirmed contact with Riku and Kairi. Their plans are complete, and the Resistance awaits your return." She said, smiling and opening the car door for Cloud, whilst Kaiyt got in the front seat to drive.

"Good." Cloud said. "I want to tell them one thing. We declare war now! Ladies and Gentlemen, we invade Brent's building tomorrow, wrench that monster out of power, take Sora back and watch our enemies perish in flames!" He announced, flaring his nostrils in passion as he shouted to every last resistance member.

He couldn't hear it, but his declaration was met with an absolute cacophony of shouts of approval and cheers from the hundreds of resistance warriors, tech man and various other agents. Even the War Eaters leant their voices, and Riku and Kairi also rejoiced.

Tomorrow, they would get Sora back. They would have to look after his wounds, and his trauma, and his condition – all Kairi wanted to do was heal him and hold him and never again let him go – and all Riku wanted to do was protect him from any more harm… And kill the ones responsible for his state.

"So tomorrow, let us ride like valkyries to the fight! Let us allow the war Gods to beat their drums! My comrades – nay, my friends! Let us finally tear the tyrant from his throne, and show him true justice!" And finally, Cloud bent down low for the climax, softening his voice. "And so, ladies and gentlemen of our humble resistance… Since they have already passed it on to us, and haven't come to reclaim it…"

He snapped his head up, his face glaring at his imaginary foes. "LET US BRING HELL RIGHT BACK TO THEM!" He roared wildly, as if his tumultuous voice had plunged the whole world into war.

And it had.


	8. Vengeance

The barracks were silent, the command room empty. The guards which usually occupied the halls of the Resistance base were no longer present. The room which Kairi, Heather and Kaiyt slept in was all quiet, the three young women slumbering. Riku slept in a hammock in the comms room, his sleeping light lest he should miss an important call or alarm. The whole resistance slept well for the first time in many a month. The lone room light that shone through the dimness permeated by a myriad of flashing electronics was the room to Cloud's office, and the only reason for that was because Cloud had forgotten to turn it off before dozing at his desk.

The undergrounds of Disney Castle's Cavalier section had their lights turned off and their hallway-lining candles snuffed, making the stone halls of the secret sanctum even more quiet and dark than ever. As the students learning there all slept, Holmwood was sleeping in a humble wooden bed inside his room. Seth was asleep also, a tome of a book at rest on his stomach. A single candle illuminated the darkness, and it highlighted only the blonde girl, wrapped in her deep rest as she'd dozed off amidst her warm robes and hopes for peace.

Even Brent's blue building had gone completely dark. Not a guard working the night shift, not an office worker doing overtime, even Geno and Teague had set up sleeping bags outside Brent's room. And with the Prime Minister himself's permission, they clumsily snored away with all the grace of men. Brent himself was asleep also, at his desk like before. His various volumes and doctrines no longer littered his desk but were stacked neatly in complete piles. He rested peacefully, his dreams not troubled by wars past.

All was quiet. The stage was set.

--

Three of Hearts  
Chapter 8 – Vengeance

--

Pupils shrank, as slumber was brought to awakening. Skin shivered, as warmth of beds were washed away by the biting morning air. Eyelids tugged at their nerves, pleading for further sleep, even as their owners strapped on combat gear, unholstered rifles from the armory, and fueled machines of war for combat.

"Well, here we are." Heather said, walking into the hangar nonchalantly. She - along with Cloud, Riku, Kairi and Kaiyt – were all to board these bulky transport and heavy-lifting aircraft, affectionately called the Cudgel by the Resistance men, after its severely lacking capabilities of maneuverability and aesthetic appeal.

Riku sat calmly on a bench, and was soon joined by Kairi. "Hey, Riku. It's going to be okay. We're gonna rescue Sora, and redeem ourselves." She comforted him, placing her arms around his shoulders affectionately. She looked at him a few seconds more.

"It's been two months. Two whole months since Brent and his division of bastards took over this town with their drug money. Branded us public enemies. Enslaved Hollow Bastion to his whim." With a sigh, he added, "…Tortured Sora." He looked up into the huge cliff face hangar door that had now opened. "We've journeyed the known universe, and fought enemies inhuman, who wished to destroy entire sections of civilization. Why is it that this one man, this ordinary **human**, was able to divide us and destroy our forces so easily?"

"I don't know." Kairi said, also looking to the mass of transport craft rising into the air. "Maybe the battles that are most important to fight are the ones that seem to be the simplest and smallest. Sometimes we don't need something to fight for other than the peace and wellbeing of others. And, of course, he's got Sora. Our best friend, and…"

"Hey, Riku!" Kaiyt yelled from across the room. "This is your Cudgel! You're going in solo!"

"Coming!" Riku yelled back, and stood. He turned back to his childhood friend, and offered a very rare grin. "Don't worry. It'll all be over by the end of today. I'll see you on the battlefield!"

Kairi nodded, and Riku dashed off to the craft. Cloud and Heather boarded their Cudgel, and it rose into the air. Kairi walked over to hers, at the very back. She looked at the grand scene, her hair flowing in the wind, as almost one hundred of these clumsy machines rose into the dawn light and set off for Brent's skyscraper in the name of reason and liberation. She stepped into hers, and even amongst the resistance men, all lounging around, she felt alone.

The men instantly rose as one, saluted, and stood aside to let the girl sit down. "We're with you." The leader of the pack said. A chorus rose, as each and every man repeated the words at their own time. "Thanks, guys." She said with a smile, causing even the toughest of the pack to chuckle heartedly. Kairi summoned her Keyblade, and rested her chin upon it. "Now let's go kick this bastard out of Cloud's seat!" She cried, causing a collective whooping and cheering.

She twirled the Keyblade amongst the chatter and noise, and held it close to her heart, adding so quietly that only she could hear; "…And rescue my love."

In that moment, she swore she could hear Sora's voice. _"I'm with you."_

--

Brent turned to his troop of barely one hundred men. A group of men numbering only a hundred strong, against the hundreds charging against them. Their faces were steeled for combat, their uniforms were crisp and bright, and powerful weapons stood at their side – a long-barreled rifle weapon, with great silver blades protruding from their tops – a riflance. "My last loyal remnants, I have been labeled many things by the enemy we fight." He continued on, walking down from his pedestal. "Warmonger, invader, tyrant, monster, dictator, bloodthirsty, criminal, horrible, putrid, sick, twisted, hellish, monstrous, and all manner of ridiculous profanities." He stepped between his soldier, seemingly addressing each and every one on a personal basis.

"I lead my troops, filled with young men like you, at the Battle of Traverse Town. There, my men called me ambitious, and my enemy called me insane." He turned and walked backwards, raising his fist. "But LOOK!" He clenched it. "Just a few days later, the battle of the Wayward Plains, my enemies called me a fool – and my troops, a warrior!"

"I see fear in all of you! I see doubt! I see hatred! I even see anger! I see in you what I saw at the rush! There, I was called a horror by the enemy, and a hero by my subjects! " Brent continued onward with his fist raised, his eyes scanning the men in the crowd. He turned and faced the map of his building, looking in fury at the red areas that depicted enemy control. "The siege! My foes called me a demon! My fellow warriors, a MESSIAH!"

He swung around, electricity crackling from his hands as he raised his voice to a bellow. "I HAVE SEEN MANY HORRORS! I HAVE SEEN GENOCIDE, I HAVE SEEN DESTRUCTION IN THE STREETS, IN THE PLAINS, IN EVERY SQUARE CORNER OF THE BATTLEFIELD! I'VE HAD MY FORCES RAVAGED, MY WORKS DISMANTLED, MY DOMINIONS IN RUIN AND THEY DARE TO CALL ME A TYRANT!?"

He calmed, his voice laden with poison and dripping with venom. It had lowered to a husky, cold growl. "Then let them call me all those things. Let them call me all of them and more! Let them call me feared, a madman, a genius, a hero, a failure, a WARLORD!

"But let them NEVER say that I gave in, let them never call me coward or fearful or in hiding or running away!" He announced, thrusting his hand high into the air. "Rather I instead ask of you to join me – my friends, I ask you as a fellow brother… Will you carve a path in history? Will you be given the names of heroes and knights and defenders and the brave? Will you join me in becoming those who trample upon our enemies? WILL YOU JOIN ME IN THE INFINITE GLORIES OF COMBAT – AND LET THAT PITIFUL RESISTANCE RUE THE DAY THEY FOUGHT US?"

In a mad fervor, the soldiers began shouting their praises to Brent, saluting him and hailing him, shouting their affirmatives. Brent shouted back, "THEN, MY FRIENDS, LET US BLAZE THROUGH THE BATTLEFIELD! LET US CONFRONT OUR FOES WITH OUR VISION LOCKED AND OUR BLADES RAISED HIGH!"

Then, finally, he spoke with a mad authority. "And let us give them names like they have given us. Let us call them defeated, destroyed, obliterated, squashed, quelled, weak, annihilated, decimated, fallen and dead! Let us call them what they DESERVE to be called!"

Immediately, in a cacophony of noise, the men turned and charged out the door - shouting mad battle cries and praises to their leader. Brent turned, and turned on the loudspeaker which echoed throughout the building. "Attention, all soldiers of my loyal battalions – this is a message from Kevin Brent. TEAR THEM, RIP THEM, SHOOT THEM DOWN, RAZE THEM, BURN THEM – GIVE THEM THE NAMES SHARED ONLY WITH ABOMINATIONS! SHOW THEM THAT WE ARE NOT MONSTERS, NOR ARE WE HUMANS!"

He raised his voice for the final stroke. "MY FRIENDS, COMRADES, ALLIES, SOLDIERS – SHOW THEM THAT WE ARE GODS AMONG MEN!"

--

Kevin Brent's enormous blue skyscraper glowed purple and fluorescent blue in the orange light of dawn, where the pink and orange-tinged clouds gave it the appearance of piercing the heavens. Over the cliff before the large field that rested before his tower, almost a hundred large, cumbersome helicopters burst forward. There were many, but every person inside them felt like he was walking alone.

"Well, isn't this a clichéd scene. Needs _Ride of the Valkyries_ or _Dance of the Knights_ or something." Heather stated calmly, her confident veil secretly harbouring a hidden sense of worry. She could tell that every man here was fearful. Cloud himself gripped the sword in his hand tighter than ever before. Only a hundred metres out from the bastion, the helicopters split. They split apart to the respective positions of their attack runs. Only one dared to rise to the very top of the tower. Cloud dashed forward to the open door of the chopper, and looked down at the single adversary who stood atop the roof of the tower. "BRENT!!!" He screamed, with extraordinary fury circling his body.

The titular man stood, electricity cracking at his fingers, his weapon – a crossbow made from solid electricity – resting in his right hand. "COME THEN!" He yelled back at the helicopter. "FOUGHT ME LIKE WE FOUGHT THOSE YEARS AGO! FOUGHT ME LIKE YOU DID THAT BLOODSTAINED NIGHT!" He raised his crossbow, revealing that the front doubled as a curved blade. "CAN YOU IMPALE ME THROUGH LIKE YOU DID THEN, CLOUD STRIFE?"

The memories flashed before them both, of Cloud shaking in cold and trauma as he ran the Buster Sword through Brent's stomach against the tree trunk. Without hesitation, Cloud jumped from the helicopter and raised First Tsurugi. Brent raised Bioamperage, his mighty crossbow – and in the second their blades met, hundreds of troops poured from the cumbersome helicopters and into the whirl of combat.

The battle had begun.

"Let's jump, guys!" Heather exclaimed eagerly and leapt from the helicopter, straight down a full thirty floors, when she grabbed onto a ledge on the building and hurled herself through the window below, shattering the window in a spectacular display of athletic ability. She crashed into one of Brent's soldiers, knocking consciousness clean out of the man as he tumbled across the floor beneath her. His companions immediately raised their weapons, but Heather was quicker. It took only one round each from Romeo and Juliet to take down both soldiers. She quickly radioed in to the troops on her helicopter. "All clear. Get your asses down here, we've got positions to assault and stuff like that."

--

The room was clear of enemy soldiers, the motion tracker and thermal cameras aboard the Cudgel had made sure of that. The helicopter hovered mere centimeters away, aligning its propellers outward so as not to collide with the building's face. The soldiers were first to make the tiny jump from the Cudgel through the shattered glass into the reception room of Brent's drug empire – and within that door at the back of the room lay every trace of the Nobody Gene.

Kairi was the last one out of the helicopter and into the room as the Cudgel pulled away from the building. She pulled out the Keycard she'd received while under Brent's command – the one he'd never had the opportunity to cancel. The card opened the door, the Resistance soldiers checked the corners, and together the troop of about ten dashed through the hallway. After doing much the same with the next door, the soldiers swept the laboratories like a flood, encountering no resistance from the huddled, scared scientists.

Kairi called in on her radio. "We've got all the scientists. Grasp-34, return and come back in so that we can drop back the scientists. Leave the salvaging of this place to us." She looked around the room, looking for something that could give them the answers they needed. She found a single, thin cylinder. It looked to be made of a bizarre plastic, slippery to the touch. She held it in the light, and the shine from the lights above filtered through the object. Inside it, she could see small growths and concentrations of blue material inside. "Memory crystal…" Kairi observed, her knowledge of crystal's growing properties being theorised as memory containers coming to mind.

"Nothing here, ma'am." The Sarge of her squad informed her. "Everything's been either salvaged or removed, or is useless. There's a few samples of the drugs, we've taken pictures, and we'll leave the rest to the extraction crews." The redhead nodded, still disliking the cold-blooded military speak the soldiers utilized even though their cause was highly intimate to them.

"That's okay," she said, "you guys can go down the lower floors and help out the others. I'm a Keybearer, I'll be fine." The helmeted man nodded, assembled his crew, yelled an assertion and battle cry, and the crew took off to the combat-mired floors above and below.

Kairi, however, looked around the room some more, looking for what a soldier would dismiss. She scanned the various computer consoles, running her hand over the hardware's various ports. Her fingers brushed over a port which was surrounded by a small, insignificant-looking circle of plastic, much like a custom-built computer would have its little imperfections. "Fire." She whispered to herself, limiting the magic to a superheating of her fingers. She grabbed hold of the mould, watching the plastic melt and seep out between her fingers, making sure not to touch the console itself. Once the plastic was a hardening heap on the table, she cooled her fingers, and observed the circular hole. She inserted the memory crystal, and watched the screen burst into life.

"_OPERATION MACHINATION"_ was the only option available. She clicked it.

"_Contingency 3-6-1. Confirm with unique readiness key from source code AMRCA."_

Kairi was stumped. She rolled back the nearest chair and slumped in it. Computers had never really been her thing, much less readiness keys. Give her a problem in medical science, and she'd be fine. But this, she knew, was out of her league. She ejected the biological crystal from the computer and pocketed it, leaving the computer and reporting to Cloud. She left the room, not noticing the flickering console.

"_Exactly what I wanted you to do."_

--

Riku dashed through another room, striking down a Brent guard quickly. The other, well-trained, responded with a mighty swing – but Riku freed his left hand of the Way To Dawn and grabbed the long barrel of the enemy's riflance, unleashing a swift kick into his gut. The man doubled over and Riku dispersed Way To Dawn, grabbed the riflance with both hands and swung it near the floor, sweeping three more off their feet. Summoning a Dark Firaga, he split the blast into five, which burst forth and destroyed all five of the enemies' weapons. Giving the three collapsed foes once last look, he ran from the room, hoping they would have the good sense to surrender.

--

"FIRE!" a single voice yelled out, and a split second later a great blast of heat and noise pierced the air. Six of the remnants had taken up their defenses behind a great felled generator, and with only light filtering through the window, were firing their riflances systematically, using their pistols to cover their reloads. Heather was taking cover with several resistance soldiers, who only managed to squeeze off a few impotent shots after every round of heavy riflance shells that tore through the narrow doorway. "This is ridiculous." Heather commented, fed up with the proceedings, turned on her heel, and promptly dived through the nearby window.

She twisted herself and threw her hands into the side of the building, grimacing in satisfaction as the spiked handguard of her submachine guns ground through the metal, and slowed her descent to a stop. Like ice picks, she alternated climbing her way up the spiked handles – until she was directly below the enemy positions. In an amazing display of acrobatic ability and strength, he hurled herself upward through the window. As she crashed through the pane, it took her eyes less than a split second to acquire their targets – and almost as quick for her gun-bearing hands to respond.

She fired Romeo and Juliet, her hands a blur as she rapidly changed target in mid-air, the flip from her upward vault into the room still twisting her body. In a spectacular flurry of bullets and broken glass, Heather landed with a perfect somersault to break her fall. Standing up and twisting around, she saw exactly what she wanted to.

The riflances and pistols of Brent's guards lay shattered and broken, all shot with pinpoint accuracy by Heather's unmatched eye. The guards themselves were stunned, trying to scramble backwards into the rubble they'd been using as cover. Some were simply transfixed with fear, and one nursed his hand – a bullet had gone through his weapon and into his palm – but he was the worst hit. She signaled for the resistance men to come through, and the men who'd been pinned down ran single-file through the narrow doorway and vaulted over the corridor. They raised their weapons, and marched out the defeated Brent men.

--

Kaiyt leant over the resistance man as he choked his last breath, and she closed his eyes with her fingers. She looked around, the hall covered in blood and bodies. She was exhausted. The raven-haired girl had been in with the advance squad, who had blitzed their way up the building's hallway corridors that held the personal corridors of Brent and his troupe. They had suffered almost complete casualties, with only two men of her original fifteen left standing. They'd taken about double their number with them, but these were unbearable losses.

"Jordan. Krave." She said quietly.

"Yes, miss?" The larger of the two, Krave, replied.

"I thought we were supposed to be the best. The most badass in the known universe. Us mercenaries. Instead, some mad dictator raises an army of thirty, puts it in a set of stairs and hallways… And takes us all out. Us three are the last of the mercenaries. If you want to turn back, I won't stop you. Live to fight another day." She said somberly, still holding her katana, the blade held backhand.

The two said nothing.

"Well, what do you say?" Kaiyt demanded, smiling, as she turned back to the men. "Are you with-"

The men dropped to the floor, both dead, as a single shining blade cut through the air.

"Well then, isn't this dandy? I'm told, sneak in amongst all the chaos, and take out Brent's high command. Then I find out, you lot have already marched in, killed all the guards who wouldn't surrender, which was all of them, and gave all those corrupt politicians and businessmen you found here to Cloud for a royal spanking. Poetry in motion, isn't it."

Seth Cameron stood before her, his gold armour shining brilliantly as the sun emerged from behind a dark cloud.

--

Kevin Brent and Cloud Strife stood, locked in combat. Brent was clearly the more weakened of the two, his brow furrowed, his usually neat comb-over left dampened with sweat and parted in the frenzy of combat. Cloud pulled back, coated in blue flames that danced around his body, and dashed forward, swinging the First Tsurugi up. His completed the Limit Break by doing a mid-air flip with spectacular flair and bringing his down his mighty blade on Bioamperage's waiting blade. Brent fired the bow, with Cloud only just twisting the blade fast enough to reflect the bolt.

Cloud flipped backwards, and landed about a metre away. Brent held his bow high, then lowered his arm, grinning. Cloud also lowered his stance, but keeping his sword raised apprehensively.

"Do you know, Cloud," Brent began, "why it is that I've divided and conquered your forces?"

Cloud didn't answer. Instead, he twisted his face into a scowl at the taunting man, and readied the great broadsword for another attack.

"It's not just because I'm unlike any other enemy you've ever faced."

Cloud brought his sword forward in front on him, causing the blue flames to begin dancing around him once more.

"It's not just because I planned it all."

Cloud launched himself off his own pivoted foot, dashing towards Brent at a furious pace.

"It's because I tore parts of yourselves away from you."

Cloud dug his heel into the ground and stopped, resting the First Tsurugi at his side. "What?"

"Cloud, Cloud, Cloud. Think about it. It's not too hard." Brent replied, dissolving Bioamperage into electricity until it was no more than a crackle of electricity about his fingers.

"It began with the Nobody Gene. Of course, I invented it, with a little extra help. Adam Owen. An expert neurologist. He actually invented some bizarre transmitter that stimulated areas of the brain to activate. Specifically, knowledge reserves. He, by way of a slip of the nanomachine samples into a routine vaccination at Destiny Islands High School, found what he needed. He located something that can't be found unless told by a Somebody: the physical body of that Somebody's Nobody. In this case, Namine.

"He kidnapped Namine's body from its resting place. It was literally a puppet without a mind. Kairi and Namine hadn't even noticed it was gone. The downside was that the area of the brain stimulated by his transmitter was the area of the brain responsible for retaining analytical knowledge. So, Kairi's brain developed an absolutely freakish knowledge of medicine and chemistry. It was then that I invented the Nobody Gene, from living samples of Nobody types to develop the various drugs. It wasn't hard. However, what WAS hard was discreetly releasing the pure forms of the drug out all across the world – where it acted as a virus and actually turned affected humans into Nobodies. The Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee misread it as an explosion of Nobody activity, and took themselves and all their best people to cleanse human space.

"All they left behind was you. It just had to be you, the one who stopped me all those years ago. So, I began my election campaign. However, to avoid being recognized as the Kevin Brent who'd tried to take over Traverse Town by force, I took my own drugs. The Nobody Gene altered my DNA enough for me to be a completely different person. I knew that once the HBRC was out of town, and the Nobody Gene wreaking havoc in Radiant Garden society, the three Keybearers would come rushing. And they did. Once Adam Owen informed me that he'd captured Sephiroth, and was keeping him alive basically by giving him to the Heartless, I gave him the okay to kidnap Sora, knowing without a doubt that the subsequent revenge would get him killed.

"It did – however, these final moments began from that plan. First, I took the data he'd made on that suit for Namine, that excellent powered suit. This helped me develop an automated version. Then, I took the information from his nanotransmitter so that I could effectively know how to manipulate Kairi's scientific knowledge in my campaign – as well as when the shut the whole thing off. Finally, I captured the even more injured Sephiroth myself. He's now much more beast than he is man.

The trauma that Namine's unresponsive mind underwent when she was kidnapped and tortured to be part of that suit will emerge when she sees that suit. Not only that, but the nanomachines have already begun to degrade rapidly. Her expert knowledge of science is fading before her very eyes, leaving her completely alone."

--

Kairi walked back into the laboratories, leaving the computer room behind. She felt dizzy and weary, her head throbbing and her mind aching. She tried desperately to focus on something – the memory crystal she hadn't been able to decode, her cures for the Nobody gene – it was no good. They were all numbers and gibberish formulae. Every time she grasped one of her scientific concepts, her brain robbed her of it.

She heard a _hiss_ of escaping gas, and saw, in front of her eyes, a compartment of the wall she'd thought to be a containment chamber for Nobody Gene samples smashed open. Before her stood an armoured suit, pale, cold yellow in colour. Where previously a person would have sat, now was a bulbous artificial intelligence unit. Its single eye glowed red and it looked at her.

Suddenly, Kairi's mind collapsed. Her brain overloaded with images, horrific images of frail girl's arms, penetrated by medical hooks of all sort, blood flowing freely over the machinery as it tried to synchronise with her DNA. Views from this girl's eyes, of sitting mindlessly in the suit, attacking a desperately panicking brunette – Sora.

Kairi screamed, but she wasn't sure if it was in her mind or reality.

Was the red light she saw Namine's view or her own?

The machine's or hers?

She was unsure. Her science had failed her now. Her mind had failed her now.

Her will, though, had not, as images of a brunette - struggling to fight back - filled her vision. Her vision continued to switch between scenes she wasn't sure were real or not. But she stood nonetheless, and found the focus to summon Heart's Desire. She couldn't see. Her mind was blocked. Her body was in complete breakdown, but she would not break.

--

"I deliberately organized public crackdowns, executions and beatings. Put my brutality on the front line of the Worlds' media. I made sure that it wouldn't attract the League of the World's attention – but knew it would grab the eyes of King Mickey's little black-ops group. I knew they'd send the very man who trained me. The one so proud of his obsolete outfit that he'd happily pick a fight with any other group that tried the same business, and gleefully rip apart any and all other factions."

--

"Haha. Well then, I guess all that's left is you rip you apart, little lady." Seth said, raising Diamante. Kaiyt drew her revolver in a blur of silver and red, fired twice – and watched both bullets shatter in the face of Seth's great shield, Adamante.

"It's hopeless, you idiot traitor." He continued. "I'm going to do what the resistance should have done during that infiltration of ours. This is what happens to traitors of the Cavaliers!" He roared, raising his blade.

Two shots burst out from afar, both striking Seth in the head. The knight reeled backwards.

"Kaiyt!" Heather yelled, closing in on the smaller girl. "We were getting no word from the advance squad. Any survivors?" She asked, Shakespearian guns still drawn.

"Only, me and even that's in doubt!" She exclaimed, as Seth's armour immediately drew Cure spells to heal his wounds. Cameron swung his head back forward, his head bloodless and seamless save for his great scar.

"A freak creation and an idiot traitor. Should be interesting." He settled on, both of his weapons readied.

--

"And Sephiroth, Riku couldn't defeat. He claimed to be angry at Sora for getting kidnapped, but he was angry at himself for being able to defeat the mindless beast and save Sora's health. This guilt, and even fear of the corrupted Sephiroth has since grown even darker, as his weaknesses and Sora's wounds was what led to the collapse of their little operation."

--

Riku's run slowed to a stop. The felt the cold, artificial lighting on his skin, prickling it up. It was cold, and eerily silent.

"Come on out. I'm not one for the waiting game." Riku said calmy. The roar that he heard immediately after shook him to his bowels. It was familiar – horrifically so. The watched with dread as Sephiroth, now growing dark, dank, sweat-drenched hair along his arms and chest, his coat in absolute tatters, his teeth well beyond canine, and his wild eyes glaring death at Riku. Masamune had snapped someway along the blade, making it now the length of a regular katana. Only one horribly rusted pauldron remained of his original four. His three wings were skeletal, with only strips of flesh remaining on the bone.

Riku tried to swallow his fear. He was deep within the building – too close to Sora to even think about stopping now. He swallowed hard and summoned his Keyblade.

"Okay," he gasped, and glared at Sephiroth, courage half-filling him. "Your misery ends here."

--

"I have brought everything here to this point. All of our champions are engaged in combat. Everything is set in motion. So, Cloud, can you afford to be here? Can you afford to be selfish and chase me whilst Kairi is near-defenseless? Kaiyt and Heather severely outclassed? Riku consumed by fear and pain?" Brent finished.

Cloud just glared at him. In that moment, his eyes were filled with absolutely inexplicable hatred.

Brent craned his back forward. "Go." He said.

Tears gathered at the edge of Cloud's eyes. He twisted around, and slammed his sword into the ground, unleashing a Blade Beam. A great hole was blown in the roof, and Cloud had disappeared into it long before the dust settled, leaving Brent alone on the roof to consider the battle raging beneath him.

"…Let's give this decrepit world…"

Kairi charged blindly at the machine.

a show to remember."

Heather and Kaiyt opened fire at Seth.

"Let this terrible struggle…"

Riku and Sephiroth leapt at each other.

"Begin truly."

And that moment, everything shot into action.


End file.
